


Where We Belong

by theBitchTornado



Series: Where We Belong [2]
Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Courage, Delusions, Drama & Romance, F/M, Friendship, Heavy Angst, Illusions, Love, Sexual Content, Swearing, Time Travel, Wisdom, slight AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-12
Updated: 2018-01-29
Packaged: 2018-08-14 15:03:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 42,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8018626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theBitchTornado/pseuds/theBitchTornado
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kouga and Kagome are together and all they have to do is defeat Naraku, right? Wrong. Someone's clearly not happy about how it all turned out and will do anything to stop them from being together. After making a wish on the Shikon no Tama that has tragic consequences for all involved, will Kagome and Kouga find each other again, or will the wish plague them for eternity?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Decision

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, this is the continuation of Treat You Better, and part 2 of the Where We Belong series. If you haven't read "Treat You Better" and would like to before starting on this click here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7681606  
> As per usual, I do not own Inuyasha the anime or the manga or even any of the video games, so there's no need for lawsuits.

“Not as my mate you won’t.”

“Oh.”

“Say yes.”

“Yes.”

Kouga’s eyes flashed with happiness and he pressed his lips to hers all over again. She said yes! She was officially his woman now!

Kagome couldn’t think, waiting for the regret to show up and choke her. Instead, she felt peace, and this peace disturbed her. Was it okay that she said yes to Kouga? Was it okay to give up on Inuyasha and all of that it entailed?

Kouga felt her hesitancy through the kiss and pulled away from her.

“Koi, is everything okay?” He pulled her errant head towards him, making her look him in the eyes. The eyes never lied. 

“I’m scared, Kouga,” came the small reply from her beautiful kissable lips. He didn’t say anything but mentally urged her to continue. 

“I’m scared that this won’t happen, that I dreamt this up and that any minute now-”

“Inu-kurro won’t ruin this. You’re officially my woman now, and I promise you won’t miss Mutt-face’s pathetic attempt at keeping you at his side. You won’t regret being mine. I promise that I won’t break any promise I made you.” He stared at her gray eyes and tried to send her that message that she was safe from any harm from the hanyou through his intense blue ones. He hated this. Even when she said yes, the mutt managed to ruin it. But he knew she would need time and therefore, he decided to court her, to truly go slow with her, and show her how loving he could be. He just needed to speak with Ginta and Hakkaku, and then he would be able to be around her much more often.

Kagome was in her own little world, when Kouga kissed her lightly on the lips.

“Kagome?” he asked lovingly. 

“Yeah?” she replied. His face was familiarly determined.

“I will court you while you and your pack hunt down Naraku. Will you allow me to join your group?” 

She thought of all the fights she would have to break up, all of the snide comments she would endure from Inuyasha, of all the delays and the fights over the ramen. And then she thought about how Kouga wouldn’t start those fights, of all the times Kouga would defend her from the snide comments, of all the times that he would keep her company while Inuyasha went off to screw Kikyou, of all the times he would play with Shippou with her….she looked over at him, who was waiting for her permission. His uncharacteristic patience, his desire to help her and make sure her needs were met. 

“What about your pack? You can’t just leave them behind,” she pointed out, her heart sinking. 

He smirked; he was glad to see her concern over her future pack. 

“Simple. Ginta and Hakkaku are my betas after all. They can’t fight as well as me, and only slow me down. They will look after my pack while I’m gone.”

She thought it over. “Are you sure?”

“Of course I am. I’ll find them, talk to them and come join you.” He leaned in for another kiss. “Is that okay, mate?”

She blushed and nodded. She timidly kissed him this time, gasping in pleasure when his arms enveloped her and pressed her against his armor. Her arms came around his neck and they stayed that way for a good while, his tongue and hers becoming acquainted. 

Finally, they slowly pulled away from each other, keeping eye contact, their breathing slow and steady as they tried to gain what they lost while in their loving embrace. 

“I’ll see you and the rest of the group in about three sunrises. Then we will kill Naraku and you will be mine in deed as well as word,” he declared. She smiled happily at him and he stood up, pulling her up next to him. 

“I’ll see you in three sunrises, then, Kouga-kun,” she said, bowing. The romantic atmosphere dissipated as he bowed back, both of them afraid that Inuyasha would catch them in a compromising position. He may not have loved Kagome, but Inuyasha felt that he owned her, and so to incur his wrath right now was not a good idea. 

“I’ll see ya later then, Kagome,” he replied, and sped away, leaving no visible trace that he was there. Kagome stayed that way for a bit longer, savoring her new destiny. She was no longer tied to Inuyasha. That somehow felt good. 

***

Kagome was gone a long time. Shippou had been worried; more worried than the monk or the slayer, and went looking for her. He found her alright, in the arms of his secret mentor and heard his okaa-san finally accept the ookami. Deciding to guard the new lovers, he hurriedly created an illusion barrier that revealed nothing of the goings-on on the river bank. Inuyasha was steadily heading their way and Inu-baka was not about to ruin his okaa-san’s happiness! Not while Shippou and Kouga were around!

Inu-baka crashed into the clearing and Shippou secretly covered up the sound, making sure that Kagome would not worry. 

Inuyasha, intent on finding out where Kagome was, sniffed around the weird perimeter that surrounded the clearing by the river bank. There was magic here, undecipherable magic! Was his shard detector trapped there? And why did he spy the runt skulking around it?

“Oi, Shippou! What the fuck are you doing here away from camp?!”

The little kitsune jumped and almost let the illusion barrier fall in fright. The inu might have been hanyou, but he was still stronger than himself and he didn’t trust his power to protect him, and most importantly, his okaa-san. Inu were possessive beyond sanity, especially when half of them were tai-youkai and the other half an impoverished noble. Kagome had been his for a long time and he wouldn’t hesitate to eradicate the ookami who won her heart and Shippou’s hero worship. 

“N-n-nothing, Inuyasha!” he stammered, stepping away from the barrier, adding another charm to make sure his magical signature wouldn’t be realized. Inuyasha squinted suspiciously, then barked out, “Get back to camp twerp!” 

Shippou wasted no time in obeying the surly hanyou and prayed that the barrier would hold until his mother left and that Kouga wouldn’t be there. He skidded into camp, where Miroku and Sango were speaking in low tones. 

“Find Kagome-chan, Shippou-kun?” Sango asked, one hand absently patting Kirara and the other gripping Miroku’s hand. 

“Hai,” he said quietly. 

“Where was she?” Sango asked. She hoped her sister was okay. 

Shippou debated whether or not he should tell. Even he wasn’t supposed to know, so he should pretend not to. 

“She was crying by the riverbank.” He didn’t add that Kouga came and comforted her. 

Sango sighed. ‘Inuyasha, if you don’t stop soon, you’ll lose her forever. Maybe even Kouga will finally have his chance,’ she thought. She could tell that Miroku was thinking the same thing as her. 

Sure enough, they heard yelling and a “SIT BOY!” and then a crash. They all collectively sighed. 

“Inuyasha strikes again,” Shippou declared. The rest of the Inu-tachi nodded. Soon enough, there came an angry Kagome and a dirty Inuyasha. They both stomped on opposite sides of the camp and the rest of the group began to eat the food caught earlier in the evening silently. After that, they all took their customary spots by the fire. 

***

Kouga knew that Inu-kurro was trying to find Kagome as soon as he left the clearing. Hell, he even couldn’t tell she was in there and he knew the kit’s tricks almost better than anyone. He sped away before there could be any conflict. He didn’t want to upset his woman after all. 

He ran until the den was in view and then he slowed down, letting his scouts spot and greet them. He nodded, smirked at them and then ran into the main den where his tribe waited for news. 

He nodded at all the cubs and the actual wolves, and walked over to the nest where Ginta and Hakkaku were waiting for him. 

“Hey Boss! How’s Sis?” they cried out. He smirked and they shrank back. Usually that smirk appeared when someone got hurt. 

“Kagome will soon become the official member of our tribe. Just after we defeat Naraku of course.”

“She agreed?!” Ginta cried out. “Sis will be coming home?”

“Yup.”

Both of his betas howled for him and the rest of the clan looked over at them, curious. 

“Kagome said yes to Kouga!” Hakkaku said to the tribe, slapping Kouga in congratulations. The rest of the ookamis were confused for a little, and then little by little, they also started howling and coming up to Kouga, expressing well wishes. 

“Wait! That’s not all,” Kouga tried to make his other, much less happy announcement but it took a while to get them to calm down enough to listen.

“I will mate Kagome, but I first have to eradicate Naraku. Ginta and Hakkaku, as my betas you need to keep the tribe safe.”

At his pronouncement, the tribe fell silent once more and an ominous cloud seemed to hang over the den.

“I can’t come back here until all of the shards of the Shikon are gathered up and purified and I certainly cannot overwhelm my woman’s pack with more people. And of course, our tribe and our people are very important to me. I will not be able to run back and forth to check up on everything. That’s why, Ginta and Hakkaku, I’m asking you to take my role while I’m away.” He turned to the others in the den. “The rest of you, treat Ginta and Hakkaku as your leader while I’m away.” He turned back to his betas. 

“Ginta, take care of the hunting and the day to day running of our tribe. Hakkaku, take care of the patrols. If an enemy is found, it will be your job to take of it. Understand?”

“Yes Boss!” 

Kouga smirked and headed towards the back, where his personal nest was situated. As Alpha, he got the place where he was guaranteed the most privacy. He knew that Kagome would need it, as he was sure her human sensibilities wouldn’t allow her to mate where everyone could hear or see her. He was sure he wouldn’t be able to handle it if someone spotted her naked, or even if she refused him because of it. Yes, he was glad to be Alpha. 

He took off his armor and furs, and lay down in his nest. He smiled. Soon, there would be two people sleeping in here, and soon after that (he hoped) little nests would be constructed to accommodate their cubs. 

Yes, life was finally looking up. 

***

Inuyasha woke up first, as always. He wasn’t so sure that Kagome was loyal to him anymore. It’s been two days and he’s never had as many sits as he did in these two days. Her angry eyes flashed at him like they never did before. He tried to understand what he did wrong. 

She had asked to go home, as per usual. And he said no. He never agreed for her to go to school! When did they have _that_ conversation?! When she came back on her own last time (almost a year and a half ago) she asked if she could stay by his side, _forever_. 

Well, where the _fuck_ was that forever?! She always wanted to leave. School, or her so-called family, or her so-called duty to them. Keh, her first duty was to him as his shard-detector! She had said it herself. No, she wasn’t allowed to leave. She was _his_. End of story. 

And now, she forgot that. And it was because of that ookami, he was sure of it. That damn flea-bag came round making claims on a woman who was already claimed, by _him_. 

The other members of the infamous Inu-tachi gradually woke up, Kagome waking up with a smile on her face. It would be the last day that she would wake up without Kouga. And Inuyasha would never stop it again. But she needed to get home, to tell them the news. And Inu-baka wouldn’t let her!

No matter what he said, she was her own person. Yes, she was Kouga’s woman, but that only meant that she said yes to Kouga and not to Inuyasha. No one owned her or her life decisions. So fuck Inuyasha, she was going home and preparing them to meet Kouga, who was sure to make an _interesting_ impression on her family. 

They ate breakfast, she sat Inuyasha, and set off on Kirara.

“I’ll be back in a couple of hours! Be good Shippou and I’ll bring you pocky and ramen!”

“Okay Mama!” the kitsune cried out and waved until Kagome disappeared. The rest of them could hear Inuyasha growled and Sango "accidently" set her boomerang on top of his head to shut him up. 

“Shut up, baka. She deserves to see her family!”

“None of us have any family and we do okay!” he growled back.

“No, dumbass, we don’t do ‘okay’. It’s only because of Kagome that we’re not dead and/or in Naraku’s clutches. And what about her family? What if she dies or they do? What if she gets stuck here and her family never finds out about what happened to her? Would you tell them? Would you even survive to her time?” Sango snapped back. “She needs this Inuyasha. Don’t be so selfish.”

“Yeah!” Shippou exclaimed. Of course there was another reason why he was so happy to let Kagome go to her time. She would spill the news to his grand-mama about Kouga! 

He wasn’t insecure about her love like the rest of them were. Granted, she took him in as soon as he was orphaned, making his life easier and safer than any of them. He trusted her like he could no one else, except maybe Kouga, and he was happy when she came back to camp smelling of happiness. Things were looking up. As soon as they mated, guess who would come with them? Shippou would and he was glad to have a family like he did before. 

***

Kagome climbed out of the well and ran out of the well house when she ran smack dab into someone. 

“Kami-sama, I’m so sorry!”

If she wasn’t so hurried to see her mother and spill the news, she would have noticed that the red haired youth with green eyes changed right in front of her into a typical Japanese adolescent.

The man bowed, “No, miss, I’m sorry. I should have known not to wander to the well house.”

She cocked her head, wondering how he knew that there was a well in there. 

“Ah, Higashiyama-san! You forgot your oden!” Mrs. Higurashi calmly walked over to the youth and placed a plastic tub full of Kagome’s favorite food in front of him. He gratefully took it and bowed again. 

“Thank you, Higurashi-san, my father appreciates it.”

Mrs. Higurashi waved him off, and laughed with him while Kagome stood in wonder at the sight. Who was this person and why did he get her oden?!

After a while, the boy left and Kagome was left with her mother. 

“Who is that?” she asked. 

“Ah, that nice boy? Higashiyama-san and his son moved here from Kyoto quite a while ago and they apparently also like oden. Odd, isn’t it? Anyway, the poor boy comes here when his father is away on business.”

“Where’s the mother?”

“Disappeared years ago. Higashiyama won’t give up on the search for his wife and so sometimes the poor boy comes here.”

“That’s horrible! I hope he finds her.”

“I hope so too, dear. Now, I barely get to see you! Any news from the other side of the well? Would you like some oden?”

Mrs. Higurashi fussed over her only daughter while the typical Japanese boy went into the well house and sniffed around. Yup, it was really soon that she would come back here for good. Very soon. He sent a text to his father and let him know. He got an excited reply and he left the shrine grounds. 

***

What the fuck was the fucking fleabag doing here?! He said that Kagome invited him along? What a load of bullshit!

That was what Inuyasha kept repeating until Kagome flew in on Kirara and fucking _hugged_ the ookami. What the fuck?!

“Inuyasha, sit boy!” Kagome calmly said and ran towards Kouga, to everyone’s surprise. Miroku didn’t bother closing his mouth and got a couple of actual flies. Sango tried thumping him on the back, while he coughed but he ended up vomiting the inedible mush that was prepared that evening. He wished he had ramen, which hopefully Kagome brought with her!

Kouga took a deep breath before catching an interesting smell. He found the source of the smell and summoned the one responsible for the smell. After a quick conversation with the owner of the smell, he came back to his beloved and pulled her down next to him right by the fire.

In a few quick words (meaning an hour long conversation) they explained that they were to be mated after Kouga helped them get rid of Naraku. Everyone but Inuyasha were quick to offer congratulations for the couple and soon after dinner went to sleep. 

All except Inuyasha were at peace. Nobody but Inuyasha were plotting.

But he was. He was right. Kagome wasn’t loyal to him any longer. She went behind his back and would be the ookami’s whore. Never mind that he himself would never mate her, never mind that to him Kagome would be a shard detector only and _maybe_ someone to fuck after Kikyou’s clay body could no longer hold souls. Never mind what she would feel being used by him instead of being clearly loved by Kouga. 

No she betrayed him. And no one betrayed him and got away with it. Kikyou died a painful death when she betrayed him and lost the Shikon no Tama. 

No. He decided this. If he couldn’t have Kagome, then no one else could have Kagome. 


	2. The Alliance and the Wish

Two weeks. It took her two goddamn weeks to track him down after his moronic underlings told under no uncertain terms that her future mate was taken, and by a mere human no less. How did he disappear, her beloved? Was it the miko’s kitsune testing and making a sport of her? 

Well she passed all of his so-called tests, and she did it with all her heart. And what was her reward?! A miko slut sucking _her_ man’s face!!

The couple in question was trying to get some along time, especially away from Inuyasha. If he was horrible before, well he was monstrous now! _Always_ demanding she cook, clean, and generally serve him. He attempted to take her from Kouga’s arms, but Kouga easily overpowered him, kicking him off to the side. And now, they were catching up on some badly needed intimacy. But what Kagome and Kouga didn’t know was there was an audience. 

Ayame and Inuyasha both were in on the illusions that Shippou has been making in order for the budding couple to be alone. Even though he’s been growing more and more powerful, he still forgot to hide his power signature and therefore made it very easy for Inuyasha to break through. And as Ayame liked to spy, she found out how to break through as well. And here they all were, watching enviously the happy couple. 

Back to where Kouga and Kagome were leaning against the tree, wrapped around each other closely. Kouga was playing with Kagome’s slightly darker tresses and Kagome was giggling softly, recalling the rather spirited conversation that led to their positions. 

Kagome had been trying to read (always a bad idea around Warring States Period demons) and Kouga kept asking her to read aloud the romance that Kagome held in her hands.

“….and then he ripped off her clothing and tossed her onto the bed…”

“Wouldn’t he hurt her though? This woman sounds human.”

“She is human.”

“See? Human men have no respect. Tossing their women around. How will they have cubs if she gets hurt? How is hurting your mate sexy?”

“This is just a story, Kouga. You know, a woman wrote this. Fantasy.”

“Didn’t you say that your world thinks that _youkai_ are fantasy?”

“Yes….”

“But they think that a human man can be strong enough and sexy enough to toss his woman onto a bed? This is more realistic than youkais?”

“Not all. Just this author.”

“But so do you.”

“Not really.”

“You’re reading this…..how do you put this?”

“It’s called erotica.”

“Ah. Do you like this ‘erotica’?”

“I…uhhh….my friend gave this to me!”

Kouga gave a wicked smirk. 

“And you’re reading this to me because you’re unsatisfied. Duly noted.”

Kagome sputtered. “I’m reading this to you because you wouldn’t leave me alone!! And-”

Kouga started to pepper kisses along the column of her neck, rubbing his hands all along her body. Kagome began to pant unconsciously, feeling his hands on her upper thighs. 

“Is this better, Ka-go-me? Do you want me to…Uhhh,” he looked back at the abandoned book lying in the grass, “’rip your clothes off’? Because unlike a human, I can most definitely oblige.” His hands almost made it under her skirt before she removed them, blushing hard. He couldn’t resist a last sweep of his hands along her smooth legs and a kiss before he leaned against the tree, and started to play with her hair. 

Ayame watched the scene, barely holding onto her sanity, and clenched her claws, wishing more than anything to kill the human scum that defiled _her_ Kouga. This human woman was supposed to be pure, and yet she read such material! Did she have _any_ shame?

Looking around, so she wouldn’t smell the arousal coming from her mate and his _concubine_ , she spotted the half-breed in an opposite tree, also glaring intensely upon the scene. Though he wasn’t watching his miko charge, he was watching her sweet Kouga! Asshole. 

Inuyasha smirked at Irritating Wolf no. 2. She was quite the peeping tom, wasn’t she? She stalked them for weeks, always trying to reach her precious Kouga-go syuijin sama. Well no matter, she could fuck off, because while he was here, no one and he meant no one would be able to mate Kagome. Kagome was his, and he needed to find a way to make sure of it staying that way.

Did he want to send her away into the future? No, he needed her (admittedly) impressive store of reiki to find those shards and hand over the jewel. Should he woo her away from Kouga? No, he couldn’t do all of that sappy shit. No way. Wooing her meant mating her, and she wasn’t….it wasn’t that she wasn’t good enough for him, she was. But she wasn’t enough for him; she wasn’t strong enough to be his. She had so much baggage attached to her. She had an annoying little brother, a grandfather that hated youkai, a mother that was too goddamn nosy, and that other world. If he mated her, he would have to have allowed her to go there. Why did she like that other world so much? It forever baffled him. And she wanted a home. Keh! Like he’d be okay with staying in one place. She had too many needs, and frankly, he wasn’t interested in fulfilling them. In other circumstances, he’d probably be okay with the ookami taking her off his hands, but these weren’t it.

He thought and observed some more. Kouga no baka and Kagome were just sitting there, idly touching each other, unaware of the hostility of their observers. Inuyasha looked over at the female flea-bag. Maybe, what was her name, A...me…something….wouldn’t mind making an alliance. Just until they fulfilled their individual goals. Then wolf pelt would be gone and Kagome would be his to do with as he pleased. 

Pleased with his course of action, he sought to catch the attention of the other canine, who was standing right in front of him, across the clearing. 

He pulled out his katana, and transformed it. He pretended to stalk up to Kouga and was about to raise his sword to deliver the “blow” when he was flung backwards, a rabid she-wolf snapping at his face. Tetsuaiga flew a ways back, transforming back into an innocent and damaged old blade. 

Ayame recovered much quicker, transforming back into her humanoid form, deciding to kill the insolent half-breed in her more logical form, her more flexible one.

“How dare you attack Kouga-sama, you dirty, pathetic dog! If you wanted to keep your miko bitch, you should have taken her, and left my precious Kouga alone! You should really learn to keep her on a leash, or are you not man enough to keep your whore from straying?” Ayame was about to draw back her hand when the hanyou grabbed her wrist and quickly stood up and forced her on the ground. 

“Listen here, you ookami bitch. If you think you can kill me, you’ve got another thing coming. I’ve been fighting since you were a cub soiling your nest. I’m half-human, but don’t forget who my father was.” He flung her onto the ground. She stared hatefully up at him.

“I wasn’t going to kill your ‘go syuijin-sama’ tonight. I want him away from Kagome, but he’s stuck to her like rotten honey. I want to make a deal.”

Ayame was confused. Since when did the hanyou want to make deals? He wasn’t the trusting type. Frankly, he wasn’t cunning enough! No way!

Inuyasha laughed in her face. How did she think he survived this long? By being stupid? His only stupidity was trusting mikos. Especially Kagome. She was supposed to be better than Kikyou, yet she let herself be defiled by the wolf. She was supposed to stay by _his_ side, she was supposed to love _him_ and give everything up for _him_! This would be her wake up call. 

“Do you want your ‘precious Kouga’ away from Kagome?” he asked again. Ayame was too ashamed to do anything else but nod. To be beaten by a worthless half-breed! She would commit seppuku from the shame, but she wanted to have Kouga way more. She wanted to be Alpha bitch too much. 

“Then, we need to make a plan to separate them. _Permanently_.” 

Ayame thought about this for a couple of minutes and then said, “My tribe deals with a kitsune school and village. I know someone that can make a love potion. I could lead him away and convince him to mate and cub me.”

“Keh! What about Kagome then? She’ll fight you.”

“I’ll kill her if she messes with me, yours or not. Filthy humans like her don’t deserve to be in our affairs.”

“And I’ll kill you if you kill Kagome. Her life belongs to me. Then you’ll be pupped, but what good is a dead bitch to a male?”

“If he’s my mate, then he’ll be mine even in death. And if I die, and Kagome dies, Kouga will kill you.”

Inuyasha gave a frustrated snort. He really didn’t think this through. A bitch set on a male could become ridiculously possessive. 

“Are there any forgetting potions that your kitsune allies make?”

“All potions can be broken.”

"So what good is a love potion then?"

"It's so he will mate me. Once he does he won't be able to leave me, even if he doesn't love me. I'll _make_ him love me."

"Feh,well, he could break the potion before he mates you. He could wonder why he fell in love with you. That's what I would do."

Ayame didn't appreciate the comment, but she let it slide.

Both parties became more and more frustrated. Ayame wished….she wished! The Shikon no Tama!

“What if we use the Shikon no Tama to wish them apart?” she wondered aloud.

“What do you mean?” her partner in crime asked.

“The Shikon no Tama grants any wish that is made, right?” she replied. He nodded thoughtfully. To wish on the Shikon….there was an idea. 

“Keh, what would you wish for anyway? For Kouga to take you and forget Kagome? How would Kagome be affected?”

“Why, she would also forget about Kouga and remain in love with you. That’s what you want, isn’t it?”

A ‘Keh!’ was the only response she got. Though, she could also be sneaky. That wasn’t the wish she was going to make.

A noise broke her thoughts.

“So you coming on the shard hunt with us then?” the scum asked her. She turned her nose up at that. 

“No, of course not. That would be too suspicious. I say, I help you find the shards on my own, in secret and when the final battle occurs, you steal the shards from Kouga, Kagome and Kikyou, and that corpse puppet of Naraku’s and wait until the shards come together and I’ll make the right wish.”

“Hey! I want to make the wish! You would only screw everything up!”

“If I don’t make the wish, I will go in that clearing and kill Kagome myself, take her jewel shards and take them to Naraku. What do I care if the spider gets them? He will die regardless of your pathetic little band. I may have been a cub soiling my nest while you were trying to fight every creature in Nihon, but I became Alpha of my own tribe while you were hanging from a tree. You sought my help, remember. We become allies, (which is disgusting enough on its own) but we do it on my terms.”

“Keh, fine. Deal.” 

She smirked. “See you at the final battle then, Inuyasha.” She disappeared as fast as she appeared, and Inuyasha was stuck staring at an empty clearing. Apparently the two lovers returned back to the campsite. Inuyasha picked up his sword and placed it back in his sheath. He wouldn’t let Ayame make the wish. He would simply have to kill her.

When he returned back, everyone was sleeping. Kouga was leaning against a tree while Kagome was bundled up in her ridiculous ‘sleeping bag’. The runt was right in between them. The two other humans were cuddled up against each other. The lecher even had the audacity to place his hand on the slayer’s hip. Inuyasha simply leapt up to a tree and dozed off uneasily. 

***

It was that scent again. Kouga looked over his shoulder at his future mate and her companions. They were stopping by a stream to drink and to rest. He couldn’t. He smelled a female ookami around here somewhere. 

_Ayame_! That was the scent! What the hell was Ayame doing here?! The damn scent has been following them for about a week now and why was she here? She didn’t have any betas, or scouts and she was traipsing around the countryside instead of guarding her people! And the baka thought that her brainless actions would be attractive to him? What the fuck?

Shippou noticed the ookami’s distraction and sniffed the air. It was that female ookami that wanted to take Kouga-san away from his okaa-san! He wished he was stronger and bigger and without honor; that way, he’d be able to attack a lone female. It was annoying and strength consuming to constantly drive her away from his illusions and delusions; it stopped working anyway. 

So Kouga and Shippou ignored the scent just like always. 

Inuyasha smelled her too and growled with irritation. Why was she hanging around, instead of collecting jewel shards? What did she see in Kouga anyway? 

He wasn’t jealous, no. He was just irritated. 

The day grew hotter and hotter and all of the humans in the group grew tired. Kouga “volunteered” (more like insisted) to carry Kagome, and Kirara carried the rest. They walked for another couple hours when Kagome sensed a shard that was coming their way. 

Nor Inuyasha or Kouga sensed the direction in which the shard was coming from; it seemed to appear out of nowhere, when Kagome pointed up at the sky.

There it was, a tainted shard carried by the Saimyosho. Hundreds of Saimyosho.

It would have been easy to obtain by simply using the Tetsuaiga and using the Kaze no Kizu. Which Inuyasha did, and they got one measly shard out of it.

“Keh, Naraku’s losing his touch,” commented Inuyasha. The others weren’t so sure. It was a random attack and it was way too easy to defeat the nefarious insects. 

They were on guard for the rest of the day but when nothing came, they settled into a camp and most of them fell asleep.

All except Kagome, who couldn’t help but feel that this shard was different. It called to her, even after it was purified, to kill her lover and her friends, to come to Naraku and to make a selfish wish. It preyed on her all night, and she felt a youki she only felt one time: it was female, it was a humanoid youkai, but she didn’t recognize it beyond that. 

It kept whispering to her that it would corrupt her, that she was doomed unless she followed it. And she endured and fought it all night. 

And the next night.

And the night after that.

And the night after that.

Dark circles started to form under her eyes. She was sleepy, but she knew once she fell asleep, she could fall prey to that particularly tainted shard. So she drank energy drinks, and used up her supply of reiki to continue on battling and staying alert enough to fight the ever increasing amount of low level youkai that came after the shards. 

Kouga grew worried for her, and tried to separate some youki from himself to help her. But he couldn’t, and she was too weak to be mated for it to stick, so he settled for seeing to her physical comforts as she wore out her own aura. 

Shippou tried to think of any way to cheer her up. Sango had to sometimes drag her to the hot springs. Miroku tried to help her meditate, but the shard kept draining her. 

This went on for a month before they arrived at Kaede’s village, and Kirara could transport her back to the future. But Kagome disagreed, fearing the shard’s influence would extend to her family. 

So Kaede took that shard and Miroku placed three sutras on it so Kagome could take a sleeping draught and gain back some of her strength. The shard was placed in a box, and covered with more sutras. 

It was peaceful for about a couple of days. Kagome was getting a small portion of her strength back, and while everyone worried, they knew that she should have perished from the fight if she hadn’t had such vast spiritual powers. 

But then Sesshomaru and his band of loyal followers showed up, claiming that lower level demons had almost killed his ward. Tensions rose, as the villagers resented the Inu-tachi for attracting trouble. 

Tensions came at a head about a week after the Inu-tachi returned and when everyone started fighting, no one noticed the tell-tale of the buzzing of the Saimyosho and the arrival of Naraku.

***

The spider hanyou laughed. The unconcern and in-fighting of the Inu-tachi made his plan fool-proof. The Jewel that started it all, the thing that made that miko so special, almost killed her, left her weak. And when she became weak, everyone else did too. 

Even Ayame, a so-called proud ookami-youkai, a female so besotted with the pack leader Kouga, that she was willing to sell every bit of her honor just for the chance to have him. And Naraku took advantage of her pro-offered honor and let her believe that the Shikon Wish was hers. 

Love made people weak. He was glad he had no such emotions. But he wasn’t the inu dai-youkai either; honor didn’t cripple him. And his little human already had two chances at life. He would make sure that it would be her last.

He descended upon the pathetic village, and set loose his Saimyosho and his minions. They knew what to do: leave no one alive. 

Kouga was trying to get Inu-kurro off his tail (literally), that he almost didn’t hear the distinct buzzing. One insect was about to inject him with the miasma when Inuyasha yelled, “Duck you baka!!” and whipped out his Adamant Barrage and Wind Scar. 

Kouga cursed himself for giving Kagome the shards from his legs but shrugged it off, and whipped out Goraishi and started to fight Kagura.

Miroku used his Shakujo and sutras to kill off the bigger demons. Sango helped, though she didn’t make a dent as many, many low-level demons started to show up. 

Behind them all, stood Kagome, shooting arrows that were barely charged before she fired them off. The villagers had run away, or those who haven’t, died; miasma was dangerous to already weakened human systems. 

As Kagome reached her last arrow, she grew desperate. They had most of the jewel shards, but how to reach Naraku’s? She saw Sesshomaru fight with Bakusaiga near the center: where Naraku was. And if she could only purify Naraku, the rest would follow. 

“Sesshomaru!!” she called out. Said youkai turned to her in confusion. “I need to shoot an arrow through Naraku, and then this will all be over! Stand aside!!” She saw an almost imperceptible nod and he cut a pathway through, tearing through the tentacles that held his ward and Kohaku. Naraku was so focused on Sesshomaru that he didn’t hear the hoarse battle cry from Kagome as she let loose that final arrow. 

As soon as she did, however, that same female aura that she felt all those weeks ago, collided with her body, and shoved her to the ground, and stepped on her stomach. She looked up in horror, finding Ayame. Said ookami merely smirked and ignored Kagome’s weak attempts to defend all of the jewel shards that were hanging on her neck (including the tainted one) and handed it to Kikyou, who effortlessly joined it with Naraku’s half. The Shikon was whole, and it was untainted. 

Kikyou emotionlessly handed it back to the youkai, and turned to her reincarnation.

“You didn’t see me, but it was I who dislodged the Shikon from Naraku. Pathetic, really. Your soul was _obviously_ trying to get to mine.” The clay miko calmly walked away. 

Kagome gradually became aware of sobbing coming in the background. She turned her head while rubbing her neck, seeing Sango bent over Kohaku’s lifeless form. 

It didn’t feel like a victory. The only ones happy were Ayame and Inuyasha. Kagome was puzzled, why would they be the only two ones happy? 

Kouga panted from exhaustion. Finally it was all over. Then he looked over at Ayame, who should be here. And then he saw: she had the Shikon.

He wasn’t the only one to come to that conclusion, as he saw his mate-to-be lying on the ground, worn out and terrified. He was about to make way to her when he heard:

“I WISH THAT EVERYONE WILL BE WHERE THEY BELONG!” 

And suddenly, there was a blinding light, and as soon as it went away, the true chaos began.

“RIN!” The name was screamed by an imp as the little girl slumped forward.

“SANGO!” 

“INUYASHA!!!!” There came the snarling, then the whimpering. Then there was nothing altogether. 

Kouga was confused. So many smells, so much was going on. Then he noticed something. 

“KAGOME.”

Silence. 

“KAGOME! KAGOME!!!!!!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew! That took hours for me to complete, and I'm still not quite satisfied with this, but after 5 hours of typing, I'm done. I'll try to do some more over the course of the week, so next week I'll be able to post. It's been rocky because I wasn't sure how to get from point A to point B (B being the wish). But, don't worry, everything I just set up in this chapter and the previous one will be explained down the road. So again, thanks for sticking with me and I hope you liked it. And try not to be too angry with me? If you want, comment and like below :)
> 
> Terms:  
> -go syuijin sama: In Japanese, there are multiple ways to say "husband" and "wife". This form is only used when referring to someone else's husband. Obviously, they are demons, so I'm implying that Inuyasha knows that Ayame thinks of Kouga as his mate already (or because we're humans, her husband). Just to clear that up, because this isn't a common form at all, and in fact, I had to do some research before deciding on using this in here.   
> seppuku- Ritual suicide, usually done by samurai to restore honor to your name.


	3. Aftermath

                Kagome felt weightless, at peace. She didn’t remember what happened to make her end up in such a dark place, but she didn’t care. She didn’t remember anything; she didn’t know her name nor did she care.

                Ayame, on the other hand, was feeling trapped. What was this dark place? Why was she alone? Last she remembered, she knocked the miko bitch down, and the other miko, the dead one, disintegrated into a million souls and her body flew back to her resting place. Then all went dark, and she was here. She stared at her hands: where was the Shikon no Tama? She fumed. So the half-breed did make the wish after all.

***

                “KAGOME!!!” Kouga was frantic. He ran to where Kagome had faded away and her soul was taken into the Shikon. He looked around for the wayward ookami but Lord Sesshomaru tonelessly informed him, “The ookami bitch has been taken into the Jewel as well.”

                The prince looked past the grieving monk, who was holding the slayer’s lifeless body, whose body was still holding the younger slayer boy.  He looked past the two halves of his half-breed rival, and stared at the broken demon lord, who was silently crying over the little girl’s body. Kouga was shocked. He would have never guessed that the stoic dai-youkai would cry over a human child, much less openly.

                “This was her third death,” said youkai silently said. _And she will never come back from this one,_ was the unspoken statement left in the wind.

                The toad demon was nowhere to be found.

                Kouga found it increasingly hard to think about what happened after the wish because he too was fading away, his memories swiftly being altered to match the wish’s needs.

***

                Kouga woke up in a sweat. Where was he? He looked around his den. Everything was normal; he could hear his tribe talk amongst themselves about how lucky they were that he came back, though sadly without his mate.

                He had a mate? Since when? He racked his memories. Nope, no female in the past fifty years had captured his interests enough to mate her.  How odd.

                He shrugged it off as wishful thinking of the tribe.  He dressed and went to go greet them.

***

                Kagome seemed to jolt out of her stupor, reluctantly jotting down some notes from her teacher’s lecture. Her best friend, Ayame, was sitting right next to her, bored.

                For some reason, lately Ayame has been cold to her. It was ever since they passed a cute older boy in the hallway that Ayame started to get possessive over him. What was with her?

                The bell rang and that gave Kagome the resolve to find out for once and for all, what in the world was plaguing Ayame.  They were best friends, damnit.

                Kagome quickly packed her monstrous school bag and marched towards Ayame’s locker, where the same cute boy was idly listening to her best friend’s chatter.

                The boy lifted his unusual blue eyes towards her and smiled charmingly. _He’s pretty cute_ , Kagome thought. Ayame stopped talking and glared at Kagome.

                “Hey, Ayame-chan, everything okay?” she asked, hating when the pools of green toxic waste were steadied on her.

                “Oh yeah, everything’s fine, Kagome-chan. Have you met, Kouga-kun?” Said boy bowed and smiled again.

                “No, I can’t say I have,” Kagome replied. “But it’s really nice to meet you, Kouga-san.”

***

                Shippou was practicing in the courtyard of the kitsune school he has attended since his father died when he overheard several of the older students talk about Ayame-sama, the leader of the wolf tribe that the school sometimes dealt with.

                “Did you hear, she made a stupid wish and has been stuck in the Shikon ever since?”

                “Isn’t that how the newbie came here? Traumatized and crying for his human mother?”

                A third voice speaks up. “What do you mean, human mother? Shippou-san is a full kitsune, and the runt isn’t good enough with his magic to hide a half-breed status.”

                “Wait, wasn’t it that priestess with the weird clothing and the inu-hanyou that Shippou-san was crying for?”

                What priestess? Wouldn’t a priestess have killed him by now? He shrugged. They probably knew he was here, and therefore decided to mess with him. The Shikon rumors were going on forever now. He was unusually good at kitsune tricks than others his age, but that was because he wanted to avenge his father and kill the Thunder Bothers.

                He went back to practicing whatever kitsune trick that he saw a pretty vixen practice in the higher levels across the courtyard.

***

                Kagome stared at the walls around her in fascination. They were swirling and dancing with all of her memories, remembered or not.

_Hey, Mom?_

_Yeah, Kagome?_

_Why did you name me, Kagome?_

_Well, because when you were born, I saw a faint light twinkling in her chest, in the shape of a Kagome. Kagome’s mother draws in the dust of the table a square that is overlaid with a diamond shape._

_…_

_Daddy, Daddy!_

_Yes, Kagome?_

_Can you read me a story?_

_Sure, what would you like for me to read?_

_I found this in Grandpa’s office! It’s called the Legend of the Ookami Princess!_

_Oh really now? And why would you like to learn about the Ookami Princess?_

_Because she had gray eyes, and long black hair, just like me!_

_Mr. Higurashi laughs, his joy made obvious by his bluer eyes. Alright then, my ookami princess, let’s read this legend._

_…_

_Mama?_

_Yes, dear?_

_Who were you on the phone with?_

_The man’s name is Higashiyama. He was simply looking for his wife. He thought he saw her near our shrine the other day and he wanted to see if we had seen her. The man has been looking for her for years now._

_That’s so sad!_

_Yeah, well, at least he’s persistent, ne?_

_I guess. What if he never finds her?_

_Then he will continue looking for her._

_Fourteen for another day Kagome thinks about this. Well, if he was my husband, I would never leave!_

_Sometimes we leave the ones we love without a choice, Kagome._

_I know, like Dad._

_Yes, just like Dad._

***

                Miroku spared a last glance at Edo, remembering solemnly that his beloved went up in flames last night alongside her brother. He guessed that the wish made it so that those who died already would go back to that state; he remembered that Sango had been resurrected by Naraku with the use of a Shikon shard to kill Inuyasha.

                Kouga disappeared right in front of his eyes, no doubt waking up somewhere in his territory. Shippou too disappeared without a trace.

                Miroku wondered why he remembered everything. Was it his spiritual powers, or was it because he was human, and could belong anywhere? Or was it simply because his greatest love, his sister in spirit, the lovable kitsune and the annoying as fuck hanyou and the possessive ookami all disappeared, leaving him obsolete anyway?

                He trudged on for hours, never stopping for a break. He contemplated the wish.

                “I wish for everyone to be where they belong,” he mused. Well, he was taken care of. He was back to being a lonely monk, and maybe that’s why his memory escaped intact.

                After all, if he couldn’t remember anything, he would probably be conning his way into a teahouse servant’s kimono right about now.

                No, the wish made sure that he would be a lonely monk in all essence of the word. No purpose, no wife, no child, no friends, no home. He supposed he could head to Mushin’s, and spend his life like his master.

                He kept trudging. Sake, rice, women, and repeat until he was old, fat and lost his looks. It’s not a bad life, an indulgent one for sure, but still he saw no purpose. If it weren’t for the Shikon, he wouldn’t have met his friends.

                And now the memories were torturing him. He looked at his money pouch. He supposed that one drink, a nice meal and an easy woman would help him forget his troubles for at least a night. After cremating his love and her brother, losing a sister and the entertaining trio, he felt like he couldn’t start over until he grieved like he needed to.

                So the next inn over, he announced an ominous cloud, did his exorcism, and shared his plate and his bed with a decently pretty maid. She had even been a virgin, though he forgot about it when he remembered that it should have been Sango underneath him instead of this wench. Still, he was respectful enough to half-heartedly touch her until he brought her to orgasm, and even let her stay sleeping sated next to him on the futon.

                He wondered how many times this had happened on this very bedding and felt sick. But he wondered how many more times he would succumb to the temptations of forgetting those closest to him through depravity.

                He was sure it would be many times over the next few years.

                He bid everyone goodbye, and discretely handed the pretty maid some herbs so she wouldn’t get pregnant, and if she did, she would be able to get rid of it. He would not be coming back.

                And so for the next few days, his routine didn’t change until he got to the shrine where he grew up. He realized that Mushin was missing and found out that he finally succumbed to old age.

                He was truly all alone again.

                He became like Mushin, slowly losing respect as a warrior like the old man before him, and as the years went by, he started to think that maybe Mushin wasn’t as frivolous as he thought he was; maybe his past was tragic as well. Maybe he also had a secret pain nobody knew about.

***

                Courage, Friendship, Wisdom and Love were observing the two women trapped in the sphere with them. Ayame knew all, as she cast the spell, and Kagome, their protector, who failed in preventing such a spell to be cast. Kagome was under many illusions and that was to protect her from the ookami.

                Sakimitama, Love, bore Kagome no grudge, but let her own self be her guide. While it was too late to reverse the effects of the spell that Ayame created with such an impure wish, Kagome could still defeat her in battle, one last time. If she didn’t, Midoriko would never be free, but would simply combine with Kagome to fight Ayame and all the other youkai.

                So they stored Kagome in a cocoon, and left her to strengthen herself. Time had no meaning in the endless magic void of the Jewel, and so Kagome would come out when she had to.

                Ayame was pacing back and forth, slowly going mad from the visions that her enemy was sending her. All of these contraptions, building, smells, and sights! Where was this place? Was this the miko’s world?

                Sometimes she saw herself, and Kouga, and three other women with Kagome inside this world called school.

                It was boring. The kimonos were indecent, even for the men, but now she understood that this was how the world was run in Kagome’s world. There were no youkai, no mikos, and no houshi. It was odd and she wanted to go home.

                If this was the price to pay for making the wish, she wasn’t sure this was worth it. She could have been running with her tribe, hunting and flirting with the men! She didn’t want to be stuck in school, not even for Kouga! If this was the price, then Kagome could pay it and she could go home.

                After the hundredth vision, she began to regret making the deal with the mutt, and she could have found herself a much better suitor than Kouga!! Even in the otherworld, he was solely focused on Kagome, none of their other “friends” even coming close to his attention.

                She despaired; she was so uncomfortable. In the Jewel, she didn’t any sleep, nor rest. When Kagome went home and did homework, she was treated to a bird’s eye view of everything!

                Even when Kagome engaged in _intimate_ activities, crying out for Kouga, Ayame had to watch. She had to watch her dreams, read her thoughts, everything!

                Kusimitama, Wisdom, laughed wholeheartedly at Ayame’s pain. She felt somewhat for the ookami that fell deeply for the Kouga in Kagome’s dreams, but couldn’t find true compassion for her. She had been tempted by the Jewel and wrecked havoc on everything and everyone. Before her much needed humility and true knowledge of the kind of pain that everyone suffered, she had to suffer and be defeated.

                Kagome wouldn’t remember what happened in the Jewel, but she would remember the length of time and hopefully her triumph.

***

                Kagome was walking home with Ayame when the red head started to choke.

                “Are you okay, Ayame-chan?” she asked. The red head wouldn’t look her in the face, her fair skin reddening. Kagome grew worried; lately she would be acting strangely around Kagome, almost as if she knew that Kagome was thinking about their dark haired class-mate.

                “Uh, it’s nothing. Really, it’s nothing, Kagome! Nothing!” Ayame was practically shouting. Passerby was staring strangely at the school girls, one who was running away from the concerned one. They shrugged, and went their merry way.

                Kagome shrugged and continued on home, needing to contact Eri on possible birthday party ideas for Ayumi-chan.

                Nigimitama, Friendship, stepped out of the shadows of the simulated world and smiled. Even though Ayame treated Kagome like shit, Kagome still was caring and all around her own self. Of course, she had no idea what Ayame was like in real life, but Ayame knew, and she knew she didn’t deserve such friendship. Now, she only needed Courage, and she would unlock the doors to the outside world. Which world it would be, Nigimitama didn’t know, as the wish would decide.

***

                **Shoot, Kagome, straight on ahead!!**

**Kagome shot her arrow as her instructor told her so. She worked very hard to perfect this method of battle, and for some reason, she felt a sense of urgency.**

**Parry, strike, retreat!**

**Kagome used a fencing sword to pierce a dummy in the basement of her instructor.**

**Again, Higurashi!**

**Again!**

**Again!**

**Again!**

**You’ve been slacking off Higurashi!**

**Again!**

**You’ve barely been sweating, again!**

**Don’t be scared, why are you scared?**

**You can do it!**

**Alright, okay, you’ve definitely been slacking off. Why is that? You’re on your own; no one will save you, you must save yourself. Do you want to be stuck here forever? Do you want to be a coward and a weakling for the rest of existence? Pierce the heart with the arrow and strike down your opponent with your sword.**

**Remember, you’re a warrior.**

**You always have been.**

***

Aramitama, Courage, whispered in Kagome’s ears while the latter trained inside her mind as she slept. She’d been getting better as the days progressed.

                And when she woke up, she would be ready to take on Ayame.

***

                Kagome opened her eyes. She was sore and exhausted….and why was she in a hospital bed? She glanced around at the room. There were teddy bears and flowers, and balloons covering the surface of the counters and the side of her bed.

                She looked over at the window; it was nighttime. Why was she in her time? Why did she have scars and bruises? What happened to the Shikon no Tama?

                She looked over at the monitors. 3:09 AM. No date.  She spotted her mother sleeping in a cot, the kind that was only given to those who stayed multiple nights at a time.

                “Mom,” she called out. Mrs. Higurashi instantly woke up.

                “Kagome! You finally woke up! I’ve been so worried!”

                “I’m sorry Mom. How long was I out?”

                “Well…you see…”

                “Mom, tell me,” she growled.

                “Well, you see, you’ve been gone for about three months, and then you suddenly appeared at the bottom of the well with a head injury and many, many injuries all over your body and you were unconscious. Then, you woke up, and you couldn’t recognize any of us, so we headed to the hospital where you passed out. You’ve been in a coma for about three weeks now.”

                “How come there’s no calendar?”

                “Well, we weren’t sure how much time you lost on the other side, so we asked everyone to hide the date. We didn’t want to overwhelm you when you woke up.”

                “Oh.”

                “I’m just glad you’re safe.”

                “Me too, Mom. Me too.”

               

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are you mad at me? Bet you are. XD But everything happens for a reason, and I've got plenty, so please don't fret, I will answer all your questions when it's time to answer them. Yes, the battle between Ayame and Kagome will be discussed in a later chapter, as will all the other characters, especially Sesshoumaru, Jaken, and Rin. I kinda sorta hinted at our Inu-kun, but all in due time. So enjoy, comment, (like and subscribe) and I'll see you next time!
> 
> I don't know if doctors take such requests as not letting the patient see the date, but I stand by what I had Mrs. Higurashi do and achieve. I'm still deciding on how long Kagome spent in the Jewel, and how long she was with everyone before the final battle. I also haven't decided when the final months of the shard hunt take place, so there's no date. Use context clues and what I wrote to decide for yourselves for now.


	4. Connections and Beginnings

                Sesshomaru sneered at the sword that hung across from him in the dojo. The Tetsuaiga stood in an honored place, in one of the stands. The Tensaiga hung on another one, opposite the youkai destroying sword. His own, Bakusaiga, was in his hand. His new, re-grown arm.

                He went through the kata, and then called one of his soldiers to spar with him. The spar lasted for two hours (the soldier was a protégé) after which Sesshomaru grew bored. He grew bored more and more each day, and sometimes he even wished that the annoying kappa was there to scream in his halls.

                He dismissed the soldier, and placed Bakusaiga back on the stand. He ran a finger over his late brother’s sword (but if you asked him, he simply finally received his due), and left for his duties. His routine, the one which he’d had since his father’s death, and that had been disrupted for two years, was back with choking force.

                He passed where Rin had her rooms, but his face didn’t acknowledge that he heard her laughter inside. He forged on ahead, and went to his mate-to-be’s for breakfast and obligatory conversation.

                Lady Fumiko of the House of the Southern Black Inu was the ideal candidate for being the mother of his heir. She was clever, submissive, young, and beautiful. He was bored with the clever, submissive, young, and beautiful.

                The Lady in question looked up when he entered the room.

                “Good morning, my Lord. I trust you had a nice spar this morning?”

                “Hn.” He picked up his tea and listened to the prattles of a similarly bored demoness.

                “…and so I asked the gardeners to plant that small clearing by the creek. It was simply…ugly, the way it stood there, no harmony at all to it.” Clearing….by the creek? Wasn’t that Rin’s favorite place to play?

                He looked up at his mate-to-be and ordered, “Don’t touch that clearing.”

                Fumiko looked surprised, but nodded nonetheless. “Of course, my Lord.”

                The rest of the meal passed in silence, and Sesshomaru left Fumiko to her own devices and entertainments.

                Fumiko gazed at the hero’s back. She knew there was a reason he was this silent, but it had been assumed it was because of his father’s indiscretions. Now she wasn’t so sure. She picked up her cup and sipped. He wouldn’t let certain objects or places be touched or removed. When she first arrived, there had been a nursery with a human girl’s scent in it. The room had a couple of toys and several kimonos in a chest in the corner. One was a curiously stained orange kimono with a ripped green sash.  A staff of heads of a woman and a man leaned against the wall.

                It no longer held the scent of a human; it has been a year since she arrived to be his mate and he still hadn’t set a date. She was patient, but there had been other suitors and if he didn’t hurry up, she would leave him.

                But it would be nice to be Lady of the Western Lands, instead of the heiress to the Southern Black Inus.

***

                Sesshomaru held onto Rin’s cold body as long as he could: three days. He’d transformed around the first day, and his big body covered the bloody Rin’s.

                He didn’t realize just how tiny she was until she was dead, permanently. Her blood all went on his fluffy coat by the second day and yet he still wouldn’t move. His daughter was dead because the Tensaiga wasn’t strong enough. _He wasn’t strong enough._

                On the third day, the monk from his half brother’s group approached him, his own eyes filled with grief.

                “Sesshomaru-sama,” began the monk, “I know you are grieving,” Sesshomaru growled, “but in order for Rin to properly move on, she must be cremated. I know that if you ask, the villagers will surely give you her ashes.”

                Sesshomaru squeezed tighter around the girl and growled at the audacity of the man. No one would take his Rin away from him!! No one!!

                The monk sighed but stood his ground. “There’s also the matter of Inuyasha. His human half must also be let go into the fires. I know that demons have their own rituals, and so I won’t beg you for Inuyasha’s demon half.” The monk bowed again.

                After several hours of demon and monk staring each other down, the dai-youkai growled and transformed back into his humanoid form.

                “Monk,” he intoned, and not waiting for his answer continued, “I’ll place her on the pyre, and I will gather up her ashes. My half-brother’s demon half will be buried by my hands, but you may do whatever you like with the human half.” All this he said in a monotone, and without looking at the human male.

                Miroku thought through the idea and quickly agreed.

                The demon lord showed him where both halves of Inuyasha lay; they were near the Goshinboku.

                The human half was hardly recognizable, as the demon half had ripped the human half apart. The demon half still had its eyes open in hatred and anger, while its torso was stained and stiff with blood and intestines.

                “This Sesshomaru had to stab him through the stomach, lest he murdered anymore people. Where should I bury this abomination?”

                Miroku inwardly sighed and rolled his eyes. The demon lord would never admit that he cared for his own flesh and blood, but he was set in his ways and frankly, Miroku just didn’t give a shit.

                “You may bury him and his remains here, Lord Sesshomaru. He received great comfort in its branches and his soul will pass painlessly if placed here.”

                A nod to the head was all Miroku got when he pronounced such and so it was done. Both the human and the demon half would rest in peace under the God Tree.

                Rin was buried in her favorite clearing at the Western head of power.

                All that was left of Jaken was his staff and clothing.

***

                The fortress was silent at this time of year. No courtiers and no demonesses came to try to seduce the great Icicle of Nihon.  The fifty years he spent in this one fortress felt like a blink of an eye to a tireless ruler who shut everyone and everything but his routine out. He dimly heard about one of the hanyou’s group dying of old age. He wondered briefly what had happened to them, and then promptly forgot his curiosity.

                He even forgot why he kept a special room unused and a clearing undecorated. He wasn’t mad, he was just distant.

***

                Thirty years and countless hours of training later, Shippou found out that the Thunder Brothers have been killed by a holy person. Soured by his inability to get revenge, the three-tailed kitsune left his academy, and decided to find this holy person and maybe even learn a few tricks. Maybe it was a pretty priestess that defeated the Thunder Brothers, and instead of being angry, he would offer to mate her. After all, it must have been a powerful one, and powerful priestesses could produce full-blooded offspring!

                He set off on his journey, eventually meeting a tanuki named Hachi, who knew a monk in the mountains. He was oddly familiar though.

                “Oh, I know you! It’s Shippou-san, isn’t it?”

                Shippou recoiled and suspiciously asked, “How do you know who I am?”

                “Ah, well, Master Miroku used to travel with you guys, you know, you, an inu-hanyou, a priestess, and a slayer!!”

                “I was at a kitsune school for the past thirty-two years, there’s no way I would have traveled with a hanyou, or a priestess. Especially not a slayer! You must have the wrong person.”

                Hachi wasn’t a clever demon, but he knew when to leave people alone. “Alright then, whatever you say! But that holy person you seek might be in those mountains,” Hachi pointed behind him. “Tell Master Miroku I said hello!”

                And so they parted ways, Shippou heading towards the mountains.

                There was a temple, and it reeked of alcohol. Shippou wrinkled his nose at the smell and the village below. The people were frightened, whispering about ghosts coming to visit the old and pathetic monk in the temple. A woman with lavender eyes and a baby bump eyed him with suspicion, and then yelled out, “There’s something about his aura, and it’s not what a real kitsune should have!” The people then tried to attack but he evaded by simply turning into his trademark pink balloon and floated the rest of the way.

                 The temple smelt worse than the streets, and there sat a fat old man with gray hair, purple robes and wrinkles all over his face. The man slowly woke up, and blearily squinted at the kitsune.

                 “Shippou?” he said with wonder. “Is that you?”

                Shippou recoiled as if the smell just got even more offensive. This pathetic old man knew him? Then he recalled the tanuki.

                “You must be who Hachi-san called ‘Master Miroku’,” Shippou replied.

                The old man chuckled bitterly and Shippou almost felt sorry for him.

                “That I am, young man. I must say,” the man identified as Miroku sat up and looked straight at him, his eyes sparkling, “the last time I saw you, you had fluff for a tale, fox-like paws instead of a true humanoid form, and you sat on Kagome’s shoulder instead walking.”

                “So we do know each other?” Shippou questioned.

                “Aye, it’s just that illusions are in place for you not to remember.”

                “Then how come you do?”

                “The wish that commanded punishment decided that mine would be to remember.”

                What wish? Was this old man even sane? Where was the pretty priestess that avenged his enemies for him?

                Even though Shippou wasn’t convinced, he felt sorry for the man and noticed something about his aura.

                “Miroku-san, there was a woman with lavender eyes that bore similarities to yours. She read my aura. Is that your daughter?”

                Miroku stopped the rambling and looked over the at the young fox demon that he could tell was uncomfortable.

                “Aye, she’s my daughter, but as I’m a disgrace, that fact is a secret. And since no one outside of Hachi had seen me for ten-fifteen?- years, they’ve forgotten all about that fact. Add it to the fact that her mother hates me, and married a farmer long ago. It was youthful stupidity.” A moment passed. “Would you like some sake and tell me why you’re really here?”

                Shippou ended up staying at the temple for years, learning how to swindle people and learning all he could about the Shikon no Tama. He didn’t remember any of it, not the battles, not the camping, not the inu-hanyou and especially not his “okaa-san” who avenged his father and took him and treated him as her own son.

                He went down to the village and witnessed Miroku’s secret grandchildren, who played unknowingly of the disgrace of their lineage.

                He learned that Miroku’s daughter was named Mamiko, and that she had thought of contacting her real father, but didn’t know where to look. Shippou was forbidden by Miroku to reveal the identity, and so he watched as Mamiko yearned for years and years, not thinking that the disgraced old monk on top of that temple was her real father.

                She finally died of childbed fever and when they brought up the body to temple to perform the last rites, Miroku spent the entire night before drinking.

                Someone else had to perform the service. And Miroku was nowhere to be found.  Hachi returned him a week later, when everyone had forgotten the transgression.

                One night after the fact, Miroku and Shippou were in the temple hut, drinking as usual when Miroku started to ramble.

                “She was so beautiful, and I wasn’t allowed to see her birth. Why should have I seen her death?”

                “Miroku-senpai, it wasn’t your fault.”

                “If I was a better man-”

                “From what you told me, they were impossible circumstances.”

                Miroku frowned. “When did you get so wise, Shippou?”

                “Well, ‘strife is experience, experience is a lesson, a lesson is building block, building blocks make structures, and structures are a beacon of wisdom’.”

                “Don’t sass me boy-” Miroku started to cough.

                “Well, you did teach me some things.”

                “You’re a good lad.”

                A nice companionable silence reigned. It wasn’t too lost on Miroku that Shippou should have left long ago, and yet stayed with him for ten years now, instead of going on the quest to find Kouga. The first year, the young kitsune learned all he could about the circumstances of everyone’s separation from each other. He vowed to get his family back again.

                The past ten years were wonderful to a man who spent his time alone, who was alone before the Shikon no Tama and lived in the village below, and spent thirty years alone after the Shikon no Tama. Only two truly wonderful, eventful years he spent on Earth, and thanks to Shippou, he had some new memories. Looking back, he had no regrets except not killing Naraku sooner and never being near his only child.

                But Shippou had to move on, and not wait for him to die. He would die alone; he had made his peace with that. But Shippou didn’t need to see it.

                “So when are you going after Kouga?” he asked the young kitsune.

                “When I’m ready,” Shippou replied.

                “When will that be? You came here ten years ago,” Miroku prodded.

                “Are you kicking me out?”

                “No, but you shouldn’t put your life on hold for a man who ruined his life.”

                There was a mumble.

                “What was that, Shippou-kun?”

                “I don’t want you to die alone, okay?! Mushin did and you had to perform all the rites by yourself. You were by yourself. I won’t let you die alone.”

                “Don’t waste your life sitting around-”

                “My life is longer than a human’s. I’ll be fine.”

                The conversation ended there. For another year, Miroku was fine. But then he started to weaken and weaken, and could barely breathe. Three years from the conversation, Miroku died of old age and Shippou performed the rites as best he could and left the temple. He left for the caves where Kouga the leader of the wolf demon tribe dwelled.

                On his way, he saw Hachi limping to a tree, and approached him.

                “Hachi-san!” he called out. The older tanuki lifted his head at the kitsune and yelled out “Shippou-san! I haven’t seen you for seven years! How’s Master Miroku?”

                “He’s dead. Thought I should let you know. What happened to your leg?”

                “Ah this? Simply put, I tried hunting in what happened to be Lord Sesshomaru’s domain and he ran me off.”

                They conversed for the night and he set out towards the caves. The rocky caves were for some reason familiar and before long, he saw a tall youkai with blue eyes, black hair, no markings, and a wolf tail. One of his henchmen spotted him and called down to him, “You there, what are you doing in our territory?”

                “My name is Shippou and I’m looking for Kouga of the wolf tribe.”

                The tall youkai with the blue eyes turned to look at him.

                “I am Kouga of the wolf tribe. What the hell do you want, kit?”

                “Do you remember anything about the Shikon no Tama?”

                All three males stopped, and stared at him. The one with the Mohawk nudged the one with the strange black hair in-between silver hair.

                “Did he just say ‘Shikon no Tama’?!”

                “I think he did!”

                “Does that mean that nee-san is back?”

                “Kouga will finally remember!”

                “Hey kid! We know of it.”

                The one named Kouga turned to look at his lackeys.

                “You know this kid?”

                They exchanged looks. “Yup.”

                Kouga narrowed his eyes. “How the hell do you know a kitsune?”

                “From Ayame-sama’s former territories! You know, the kitsune academy?”

                The alpha thought about it, then turned to Shippou, “Is it true, kid?”

                Shippou could cover his lies better with Miroku-sensei’s teachings. He widened his eyes and smirked. “Oh yeah! They came by several times, said something about acquiring some new territory!” He stared down the ookami before the older male snorted.

                “Alright kid, if you say so. Come with us, we’ll talk there.”

***

                Kagome woke up to the sound of chirping birds instead of her alarm clock and stayed put, enjoying the sun on her face. Then she remembered.

                It was her fifteenth birthday! She thought back to last night when the Higashiyamas called. It was a sad story, but today was her birthday and she had school too!

                The presents were a bust, but she had school, so she ran out the door, only being stopped when Souta screamed about Buyo being lost in the well-house.

                The two Higashiyama men heard Kagome’s scream and sighed in relief. History would not be distorted by their phone call and appointment. Nothing could stop fate.

                Kouga and Shippou made their way up the stairs, catching up to a hysterical woman who was in the well house. She spotted them and made her way over to them.

                “I’m so sorry, but my daughter, well, she’s missing. I’m Higurashi Mamiko by the way,” the woman said and bowed. Mamiko.

                Shippou didn’t see her, but he saw Miroku’s bastard daughter. Once again, he was transported to the funeral, of how Miroku couldn’t face seeing his only daughter dead.  

                “She will be alright, Higurashi-san,” he said, “I’m Higashiyama Shippou, and this is my father, Higashiyama Kouga, and Kagome-chan will be alright.” They both bowed.

                Mamiko looked confused. “You’re the Higashiyamas that I spoke to on the phone?”

                Kouga bowed again and nodded. “Yes, but it’s quite the long story.”

                “We knew it was going to happen, and she will return in three days, followed by an inu-hanyou of the name Inuyasha.”

                “How do you know this?” Mrs. Higurashi asked.

                “I’m her adopted son, from 500 years ago,” Shippou said.

                “And I’m her, how do humans say it, husband to be, also from 498 years ago,” Kouga said. “But before her adventure stops, I’d like to ask your permission to court her.”

                Mamiko stood in shock. First her daughter disappears, then two strangers from _500 and 498 goddamn years ago, respectively,_ turn up and claim that her only daughter married and adopted, all before the age of 20?!

                She needed to sit down, and these people needed to tell her _what the fucking hell was going on!!!_

“Alright, how about we all sit down-” she heard a snort, “and talk about these insane things over tea, shall we?”

                “Of course!” the younger Higashiyama said.

                They walked into the home and her father in law came down the stairs and muttered when he saw the two strangers and froze.

                “Otou-san, these are our guests, Higashiyama Kouga and Shippou and-”

                “DEMONS!!”

                “Really! Otou-san, have some respect!”

                “Well, he’s not wrong,” said Kouga.

                Mamiko turned around and saw a real life kitsune and ookami standing in her kitchen wearing standard issue business suits.

                Mamiko fainted.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The quote that Shippou repeats to Miroku was of my creating. I didn't read it or look it up; I'm sure similar quotes like that are found on the Internet, but this one in particular is all mine.  
> I'll admit I know nothing of demon politics, so anybody offended at the "Southern Heiress of the Black Inus" please understand that this was made up on the spot.  
> Make what you will about Mrs. Higurashi's given name. ;-)  
> I'm not too happy with the title of the chapter but whatever, it gets the job done.   
> Mamiko- daughter of Mami  
> Fumiko-child of treasured beauty


	5. Three Years Later

                _Thwack,_ and the arrow hit its intended target.

                Kagome took a deep breath, exhaling. Her quiver, blissfully empty, was placed behind her shoulder, and she moved towards the numerous pierced targets. Her three fan-girls cheered in the background.

                It took ten minutes to gather all her projectiles from both levels of targets. The center for archery where her team practiced had all the best ranges for the sport. The distances went up to 50 meters, and had every sort of targets available: stationary, moving, swinging, high and low.

                Kagome spent so much time in here, she practically lived here. After finishing high school, and starting university online, Kagome found that she had no enthusiasm for ordinary pursuits.

                The hospital visit traumatized her. She spent almost two weeks recovering after her coma, unable to remember anything of worth in her time in the Jewel, only that Ayame had been there with her. She didn’t remember the battle that must have happened or that the Jewel was even now, back within her.

***

                Kagome awoke from her Jewel-induced coma, Courage noted with satisfaction. She was ready. Then they would all be free.

                The four souls that made up the Jewel, Midoriko, and the countless youkai, looked on as Ayame and Kagome faced off in a brutal battle to the death. The one who died would stay with them. If Ayame won, Kagome and Midoriko would merge and the Jewel would be reborn once again. If Kagome won, then Ayame would be purified with the rest of them, and the Jewel souls would find rest.

                But the Jewel itself was too resilient to simply be purified away.

***

                Sakura, Kagome’s friend and second in command, sat across the team captain, bragging about another conquest. Kagome was looking at WacDonald’s food with distaste. It reminded her too much of middle school and the first year of high school.

                “….and he even did this amazing thing…”

                Kagome scrunched her nose up and took a bite of her burger.

                “….and afterwards he….Kagome, hey, Kagome?”

                Something was in front of her face, Kagome decided. She looked up to see Sakura squint in confusion.

                “You alright Kagome?” Sakura was used to Kagome’s head in the clouds, but something was bothering her.

                “Yeah, why?” Kagome asked.

                “I know usually you’ve got a lot on your mind, including our victory over Tokyo U, but lately you’ve been especially flakey. Is it about those three bitches?”

                “No, it’s not about Ayumi-san, Yuka-san, or Eri-san.”

                “Hojo-san?”

                “No, nobody from middle school.”

                “Then what is it?”

                “It’s when I was in the hospital. I’m trying to remember.”

                Sakura nodded, her psychology major ready to make an appearance. “Ah, that. You know, that well of yours is fairly deep, and from what your mom told me, you were very depressed. It’s natural to repress memories, or even to lose them.”

                Kagome nodded, her burger abandoned.

                “May I ask you something, Kagome-chan?”

                Kagome flashed a brief smile. Sakura leaned in even closer.

                “What made you want to kill yourself in the first place? What happened? Your brother let slip an ‘Inuyasha’. Was that your abusive boyfriend?”

                Kagome jumped, startled at the sound of Inuyasha’s name. She hadn’t heard it in three years, and frankly didn’t care if she didn’t ever again. She chose her words carefully.

                “You could say that. But I didn’t….attempt…suicide because of him.”

                Sakura reached across the plastic table.

                “Then why? You can tell me anything. You know you can.” Her gaze was hungry, while the words sympathetic. Kagome shrugged. She didn’t attempt suicide, it was a cover story. And anyway, Sakura would never understand.

                “I don’t want to talk about it.” Kagome began to gather her things, throwing away the offensive sandwich. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

                She left the restaurant, and walked home. The sun was setting, and Kagome didn’t think about anything but the final days before the battle. How everyone urged her to go home. The last memory she had before the Jewel was Ayame’s screaming:

                “I WISH FOR EVERYONE TO GO WHERE THEY BELONG!”

                She shivered in revulsion. She wondered about Kouga, was he alive? Was Shippou? What happened to Sango? Miroku? Had they lived good long lives?

                Did the wish affect them in any way?

                She wished a very selfish wish. She wanted her true friends back. She wanted her mate-to-be. She wanted her adopted son.

                She arrived to her home, and went straight to the God Tree. It always been a place of comfort for her, but ever since she came home from the hospital, she treated the tree as a sort of tomb and burial ground.

                She brought forth some flowers she gathered in her hands on her way home. She laid them down, and sat on the bench, her head bowed in prayer.

                After several minutes she rose up and went into the house. She did some homework, and checked her emails.

                Most of the girls on her team were asking her to go to a club on Saturday, the day of their competition. If they won, she would be paid for the entire night.

                She thought about it. Did she want to go?

                Middle school Kagome would squeal in excitement and go through her entire wardrobe and her makeup drawer.

                Online university/ Archery Team Captain Kagome reluctantly emailed back a “sure”.  Her mom was in the doorway.

                “Do you want to talk about it?” Mamiko Higurashi asked.   
                “The team wants to go to a club on Saturday.” Kagome said. Mrs. Higurashi noted the lack of enthusiasm.

                “You don’t have to go if you want to, Kagome.”

                “I’m Team Captain. It’s my duty.”

                Mamiko sighed. “You’ve always done your duty. Partying shouldn’t feel like duty. Having friends isn’t a chore, nor is adventure required. Friends let you be you, and I’ve never seen you less you.”

                “I have to move on, Mom. I can’t just be stuck. I don’t want to be the girl who got stuck inside a Jewel, and somehow got out. I have to….”

                Mrs. Higurashi stood up, and gently pushed Kagome into a chair.

                “You know,” she began, “when your father died, and later, when you first started to disappear, I tried to fill my time doing important, but meaningless tasks. I would take you, then later Souta, to any type of distraction available. But the fear, the grief was there. I never dealt with your father’s passing until you were taken by the well and the responsibility of the Jewel. You live, you have friends, but you might as well be dead. What happened over there?”

                Kagome shrugged. “The final battle.”

                Her mother sighed with impatience. “I know. What happened during the final battle? Kagome, as soon as you returned, you’ve been a ghost. I’ve never seen you place flowers at the Goshinboku’s roots, but yet, now, you started.”

                Kagome started to tear up. Then slowly, those tears started to stream down her face, faster and faster. Before long, she started to sob.

                Mrs. Higurashi walked over to her daughter and started to rock her, making comforting sounds. She thought to Higashiyama Kouga and his assertion that he was somehow or other the same Kouga that Kagome told her about. Then why wasn’t he here?

                Finally, three years later, she got an explanation from her daughter. Everything but about the Jewel. Of course the most important part of her precious only daughter’s ordeal was concealed even from her.

                Mamiko was old enough to know that cursing the Fates was useless, and so she held onto her daughter until Kagome fell asleep in her arms. Fate had been cruel, and her daughter had tried to make the best of it.

                Hopefully she would heal.

***

                Kagome was in field filled with spectators. She only saw Ayame, who was poised across from her, her claws out and fangs bared. Kagome wasn’t afraid, however, because she was armed to the teeth. She didn’t know how she got all the daggers or the exquisite bow and arrows that perched on her shoulder. She didn’t see the katana that looked suspiciously like Tetsuaiga, which was bound to her hip.

                If anyone knew Classical mythology, she would be compared to Artemis, the huntress. Even though she was dressed like Midoriko, her eyes blazed with gray fire. Ayame was nothing compared to her, dressed in her Alpha female garb, but that was all.

                Ayame made the first move, slashing the air with her claws, missing Kagome by a long shot.

                Kagome simply side stepped, and nocked an arrow. Inhale, exhale and _fire._ It hit Ayame in the shoulder.

                Ayame, enraged, pushed herself off the ground and practically flew at Kagome, striking her across her breastplate.  Kagome brought out a simple dagger and charged it with her holy powers, and slashed at her, creating an artistic gash that slowly started to drip blood, creating a pattern of death on the ground.

                The four souls watched on with bated breath. Midoriko watched carefully along with her only children, critically watching her protégé, assessing her chances of success.

                Clearly the slayer and the monk had had a hand in her training, because how else would her weapons mirror theirs? Only the katana seemed different. She couldn’t pinpoint it.

                Both the combatants circled each other in a deadly dance that enthralled everyone watching. Nobody questioned why they were fighting. Didn’t Ayame make a selfish wish? Why did Kagome have to fight a creature so blinded by her desires that she caused a catastrophe?

                Midoriko had all the answers, her children noticed. They were all noble traits and souls and so they encircled her, asking her why, why, why.

                “Kagome failed in her duty in preventing this in the first place. This is her battle and responsibility now.”

                “But we can all end it now!” said Wisdom.

                “You trapped yourself, Mother,” said Courage.

                “And I elected Kagome to fix it, and now she is. Watch, my children, and we will all get our rest somehow.”

                “And where will Kagome go?” asked Friendship.

                “Where she belongs,” came the reply.

                “That’s our job to decide,” said Love.

                “Let’s send her to where she came from. Thanks to Ayame, there’s nothing for her in the Feudal Era,” said Wisdom.  The other souls nodded, and Midoriko nodded as well, bored. She turned back to the fighting females. The battle was ending and it could go either way.

                Ayame was wounded and some of her fingers were purified off, as well as her shoulder. Her blood was slowly bleeding out, the purifying energy preventing her healing. The Jewel had been cruel to her, and she was slowly losing her sanity as well as her strength.

                Kagome wasn’t much better, bleeding, and running out of weapons. Her strength was human and the Jewel wasn’t easy on her either. Soon, only the katana remained for her to use and she grasped it, not expecting it to transform into the Great Fang of her friend. In losing the ability to protect her, it made its way to her into the Jewel and hers to command.

                But it was only fit for one last fight. And this was it.

                Kagome was strong enough. Just strong enough to take the sword and with a rallying cry, she drove the Great Fang into her enemy.

                Ayame was purified instantly, and so were the rest of Kagome’s surroundings.

                Midoriko was standing in front of her, two souls on either side of her, smiling benevolently.

                “Thank you, dear Kagome, you have freed me. I go to my rest now. Thank you.”

                “What happens to me now?”

                “Unfortunately, the Feudal Era is not what you remember, and thus, will be sent back to your home in Tokyo. Best of luck to you, Kagome.”

                Everything dissolved into blackness and Kagome woke up in her bed.

***

                Kagome sat up in bed, gasping for breath. She heard footsteps. She saw her mother come into her room, concerned.

                Kagome looked confused.

                “You screamed. Are you okay?”

                “I remember. The battle with Ayame. In the Jewel.”

                She only had her bed to catch her as she fainted.

***

                Kouga caught a taxi as he stepped out of the airport, holding his only suitcase easily. He smiled. Shippou had been happy. He still didn’t understand why he moved to _Russia_ of all places, but he guessed: anything for a pretty mate.

                He thought of his own. How was she? He knew that Mamiko wanted him to make an appearance soon, or else he would lose Kagome forever.

                But he was honestly afraid. She was young, who knew what she thought? With this thought, he soberly watched out the window, and paid the cabbie when he arrived at his home. It was modest, on a good quiet street. He snorted. 500 years have certainly changed him, an entire human lifetime used to be forgotten in his mind.

                Now, he had a steady job. He hadn’t chased anything in a good long while. He missed being a demon, people knowing that demons existed. Now, he was half a human when he used to be a full youkai.

                It was a Friday. He stopped by his neighbor, Sakura (?), on his way to his house.

                “Higashiyama-san! Welcome back!” said the girl. He smiled, and waved to him. Then he noticed the archery equipment.

                “Archery practice?” he asked.

                She nodded. “Last practice before our competition tomorrow!”

                “Well, good luck.”

                She snorted. “We don’t need it. Captain Higurashi will lead us to victory!”

                He frowned. “Higurashi?”

                She nodded vigorously. “Yup! Higurashi Kagome. She’s an online student at my university, and joined us last year. She’s the best!”

                “So how did she become captain?”

                “Oh, she’s an archery protégé. She said her cousin, was it? basically tortured her with practice when she was younger. But anyway,” this time Sakura was lowering her voice, and gesturing to him, “she’s kind of obsessed with the sport. I think it’s because she had an abusive boyfriend when she was younger and _almost killed herself_ , and now she’s just obsessed.”

                If he was younger, he would be ecstatic with how he got the information. But information from gossips? Who probably sucked up to those they gossiped? He felt ashamed of himself. Why didn’t he get the information himself?

                The information was troubling. Was she waiting for him? Because he was, in truth, still waiting for her, hoping that she would question why the hell a random stranger kept talking to her mother. He’d been so out of touch. Now he was reduced to talking to gossipy college girls.

                He needed to make his move.

                “Hey, Amano-san, where’s the competition being held?”

                “At Tokyo U stadium.” She gave him the information, with a sly look.  “We’re also meeting up at Club Freeze after,” she mentioned. He nodded.

                “Would you like to see Kagome-chan?” she asked, innocently. She could tell her neighbor was interested in Kagome. Sure he looked several years older, but who cared? Kagome needed to move on from whatever had hurt her. He nodded and she clicked at her phone until she found a solo picture of the team captain.

                “Here, that’s Kagome.”

                Kouga gingerly took the smart phone from the onna and looked on at his beloved. She was even lovelier than the last time he saw her. Her face had lost the girlish traits, and from the screen stared a woman, with swirling gray eyes and glossy wavy raven hair. He gulped. Sakura took note of his reactions and smirked.

                “Well, I gotta get going. See ya Higashiyama-san!”

                He bowed and went into his house, picking up his own phone, needing to make a call.

***

                They trained all day Friday. Again, Kagome practiced the most, the pockmarks on the targets showing her effort. Ever she remembered the battle with Ayame, she had been pushing her team harder and harder. Some of her fan girls have been protesting, whining about how ridiculous the practices got. They once practiced for four hours! Or the more dedicated archers did. The fan-girls were going to be their liability, Kagome grimly thought, blocking out everything but her practice.

                Whatever. What was really driving her crazy was Sakura’s smirking. What the hell happened? Another conquest?

                It wouldn’t normally bother her, but the smirking was aimed at _her._

                Finally, four hours later, it was only Sakura and Kagome left.

                “What’s so funny?” Kagome asked while nocking her arrow and firing it. The arrow landed off-center.

                “Nothing, why so suspicious, Kagome?” Sakura replied.

                “Must be tired then,” Kagome said. Nothing else was being said.

                An hour later, they packed up and parted ways.

                It was already dark out, and so Kagome went to a bus stop in lieu of walking. She may be depressed, but never stupid. Not after being kidnapped god knows how many times. She thought she saw striking blue eyes, blue eyes she still remembered with haunting clarity even after three years, but a second later, the blue eyes disappeared.

                She shook her head, and sat back down on the bench.  The bus arrived soon and she stepped on it, her thoughts already on the competition on the morrow and not on the owner of those striking blue eyes.

                Said owner stepped out of the shadows, startled at having her spot him. The picture didn’t lie: she was so beautiful, and while close by, so far away. When he finally approached her, would she forgive him, would she welcome him back?

                Or would she send him away just like she used to do? This time though, he would leave her alone, if she requested it. He was a young cub no longer, and he knew the meaning of “no”.

                It would break him, but he knew that he was an Alpha, and Alphas don’t beg.

                He remembered the talk that led to his proposal. She had been so young, so vulnerable, yet many things had already happened to her. His talk to Mrs. Higurashi revealed it to him. His Kagome (for even if she refused him he would always think of her as his or at least her first) was a steel flower: beautiful but strong and strong-willed. She was a youkai in miko form.

                But he had hope. Those who survived these five hundred years had to.

***

                Kagome got home safely but too tired to do anything but spare a glance at the God Tree. She ate dinner with her family, unaware that her carefully crafted existence was about break apart, her past about to reveal itself.

                Her self-imposed cocoon was unraveling.

 

               

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew! No true notes this time, but ya'll know the drill! Feel free to comment and to kudos :)


	6. Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that it took so long!!! I had projects and then finals so I was swamped. So enjoy and Happy Holidays!! I hope to release another chapter before the New Year. In the meantime, enjoy this one!!!!

                The competition day dawned bright and clear. Kagome woke up, but stayed in bed, staring up at the ceiling, the faded pink paint staring back at her. Finally, she sighed, and pulled herself out.

                Her cellphone rang but she ignored it; she figured that Sakura was up to her tricks, and she wanted to practice more.

                Sakura groaned, why wasn’t she answering her cellphone? Knowing her team captain and best friend, Kagome was obsessively practicing in her backyard. She called her several more times, and then threw her phone against her wall. Who knew that matchmaking would prove to be so difficult?

                This time her phone rang loudly. There was silence on the other end.

                “Hello?” she asked. There was throat clearing on the other side. “Higashiyama-san?” she asked.

                “Oh you must be Sakura!” she glanced at the number and the country code. Russia?

                “Yes, this is she…”

                “Yes, hello, this is Higashiyama Shippou. My father mentioned you to me.”

                “I’m sorry, but my neighbor is too young to have a child, so you must have the wrong number…”

                The man on the other side laughed. “I was adopted, Amano-san. But that’s not the reason I called. My father said you know a Higurashi Kagome?”

                “Yes…but I hardly know why you’re calling me to confirm that. Look, come to Club Freeze after the competition, you’ll see her in person, okay?”

                There was a sigh on the other side. “Thanks for your time, Amano-san.” There was a click and the connection lost. Sakura stared at her phone for a few minutes before shaking her head. Somehow she wasn’t surprised that weridos always liked to associate themselves with the team captain. There was a girl when she joined at first that wouldn’t stop bowing to Kagome, and whispering things about the something “no Tama”. Sakura figured that it was just another creep, and with the worst cover story she ever heard!! Adoption indeed.

***

                Being a human was so boring. Kouga sat answering emails when he got a call from that burdensome fox he called a son.

                “Hey dad!”

                “Shippou, we talked yesterday,” Kouga grumbled. All this did was ensuring that his son laughed. “Somebody’s nervous.” A grunt was his only answer.

                “Look so that Sakura woman-”

                “Wait, how did you know her number?”

                “I have my ways.”

                “Really...”

                “Yeah. It’s called Google. All I had to do was research her and call her number, which was on her Facebook. It’s easy quite frankly,” said Shippou. Silence. Then a smack.

                “Dad, are you face palming again?”

                “I-”

                “You’re gonna get okaa-san back. If a shrine of all places lets us walk on it then, maybe the wish won’t-”

                “Yeah! Ha! If the wish did do whatever we actually wanted she’d be in my bed now, not half way across the city with her memory half missing.”

                “Dad, maybe the wish-”

                “Maybe it was all for the best. Maybe I should give her up. I saw her last night, and she didn’t feel me at all.”

                “It’s been three years for her.”                        

                “And yet I can feel her after five hundred.”

                “Damnit that’s because as soon as we got our memories we’ve been either in Kyoto or there in Tokyo.”

                Silence.

                “Dad?”

                “Yeah…?”

                “Please bring back okaa-san back. Tatyana wants to meet her grandmother. I want her back. And so do you. Bring. Her. Back. For all of us.”

                Kouga pinched his nose, and refastened his hair into a ponytail.

                “Dad?”

                “What?”

                “What’s holding you back?” Kouga took a deep breath.

                “I don’t want to lose her again.”

                “If you mate her-”

                “What if it doesn’t hold? We both know the Wish: ‘I wish for everyone to be with whom they belong.’ A miko and a youkai have no business mating.”

                “If you don’t try, then you will certainly lose her. The Wish doesn’t govern everything. Don’t let it win.”

                Both men sat in silence for a while.

                “Shippou?”

                “Yeah?”

                “Are there aging spells that you know how to do?”

                “It won’t come to that.”

                “Can you?”

                “Only if the mating doesn’t hold. Now please stop your sulking and go to the competition and oh Dad?”

                “Yeah?”

                “Take a video for me?”

                Kouga smiled despite himself. “Sure.”

***

                Kouga stood near the entrance to the stadium. There weren’t that many people watching: archery wasn’t kendo, but there were enough for him to want to stand apart. He paid the fee, and went inside. He chose a seat that would make him blend in, considering that Amano Sakura thought he was a stalker of some kind. She said as much when he passed her on the way.

                He snorted. Her accusation was five hundred years too late. He quickly found Kagome and drank in the sight of her. Her hair was in a tight ponytail and it swung ever so slightly in the breeze. Her uniform wasn’t the miko’s, but very close. A bunch of girls were standing around her, and he briefly caught small snippets of her speech. He gulped. She was so beautiful, and he realized just how much he had missed her. Even though back then she didn’t nearly have the same confidence, it was as it is now: she had a presence and people couldn’t help but be drawn to her.

                She got the feeling that she was being watched. She turned around to meet a blue eyed stranger’s eyes. She felt electrocuted, like a bolt of lightning went through her. He looked familiar, somehow. She felt a stab a pain in her heart. It must have been somebody from her past. But those eyes…only Kouga had those eyes.

                She steeled herself. Kouga was somewhere out there and possibly with someone else. He forgot about her. The Wish had been clear. They didn’t belong together. If they did, then she would be five hundred years into the past, raising hanyou cubs. She looked away.

                Sakura watched as her friend looked far away into the distance, and then sadly looked away. She herself turned and saw Higashiyama-san staring at her friend like she was the only that was worth watching, a haunted look in his eyes. But why was Kagome so sad?

                “Alright!” said team captain clapped her hands and the entire team enthusiastically cheered. Today was a great day!

***

                The competition itself was boring. Tokyo U was good, they were even better. Each captain shook hands and some girls on Tokyo U’s side giggled and made fun of Kagome. 

                The competition lasted an hour, and hour and fifteen tops. It was only the preliminary rounds, but each shot was counted like it was national. Kagome faced off against the other captain, shooting at easy, boring, targets. Kagome excelled, as she thought about Naraku. That was her secret. Think about Naraku, aim, and fire! Sometimes her holy powers would flicker around the arrow, as if she were really facing an enemy.

                When the targets were all pierced by her bow, attendants ran around and gathered all of the arrows, sometimes hissing because of the heat coming from them. Her time: 2:01. The judges added that to her score.

                The other team captain finished a whole minute later, mostly piercing the targets, though most weren’t strictly center like Kagome’s. The older man scowled at her back and swinging ponytail.   Still, he was the one at the better university, and besides, who cared about archery skills? They weren’t life or death.

                Self-satisfied with his logic, he let his second in command to step forwards.  Sometimes the Tokyo U team was better, and sometimes Kagome’s were better. It all depended on the person.

                At the end of the hour they were neck and neck to each other. The team captains shook hands and then separated to go to their appointed placed with their teams.

                _Who knew that a competition could be this boring?_ thought Kouga. He did take the obligatory videos but he couldn’t wait to leave to go to whatever club his woman was going to. He suddenly missed the battles. At least there you didn’t stay in one place watched by judges on computers that calculated arbitrary scores that would then determine who was better.

                Humans. Anyone could see that Kagome was the best. No need for a computer. It took another fifteen minutes for them to determine just that, and suddenly everyone was up and moving around. He caught the scent of Kagome’s grandfather and mother and made his way over to them.

                “Ah, Higashiyama-san,” said Mamiko. He bowed, and smiled but she still remained stiff and unwelcoming. “What brings you here?”

                “A neighbor told me that Kagome was team captain and I decided to see her.”

                “Took you long enough, youkai,” said Grandfather Higurashi. “We were beginning to think that you would never show up, or worse, lying and spying on us.” Chastened, Kouga bowed in apology.

                “I’m sorry that I gave you that impression.” Mr. Higurashi snorted. 

                “Well, sonny, I hope you are.” Kouga nodded and made small talk with Souta, and then saw his watch.

                “I have to go. Kagome’s teammates have invited me to go to a club with them.”

                Souta followed him to the exit. “Kouga-san?” he asked. Kouga turned to the boy.

                “When Kagome first got her memories back, way back, when she first started to recover, she wouldn’t stop talking about you, and we had to pretend to have never met you. She was worried and not like the way she used to go on about Inuyasha. She loved you, and loves you still. When you never showed up or showed any signs that you were there, you hurt her. You hurt her again, I’ll do something about it. Got it?” The kid puffed himself up, and Kouga knew he wasn’t in any danger but he nodded anyway. “Got it.”

***

                Sakura was lounging on Kagome’s bed as the younger girl dumped all her clothing on it. Since Kagome rarely went outside the shrine compounds, she almost had nothing. A bunch of her old uniforms, somehow deformed, some jeans, shrine clothing, and her team captain uniform. Sakura was shocked.

                “That’s it?!”

                “I could just wear some jeans.”

                “Do you have makeup?”

                Kagome shook her head.  Sakura sighed.

                “We’re going to my house. This time, I’ll lend you something of mine. But then, we need to go shopping.”

                Kagome protested, “I have no money!” But really, that wasn’t the reason. After her adventures she knew that if she never saw the inside of a store, it would be too soon. Sakura simply raised her eyebrows.

                “You do, and we’re going shopping. No ifs, ands or buts.”

                “But-”

                “I said no buts. You have nothing to wear. And why do you have so many torn uniforms?”

                Kagome mumbled something. “What?”

                “Nothing.” Sakura looked at her strangely, and then decided it wasn’t worth it. They had to get ready to celebrate.

***

                Kouga finally settled on wearing a nice shirt and dress pants. There wasn’t much for him to wear, as he preferred to party in his jeans with his tribe. But most of them left Japan, and he mostly worked anyway. He looked out his window onto the street and saw Kagome with Sakura holding shopping bags. He let go of the curtains, stopping the light from coming in. He still could see easily.

                _Kouga! A voice behind screamed. He turned around and saw Ginta and Hakkaku running after him. We found her! We found sis!_

_Where is she? He asked roughly._

_A mile back, without her group. She’s by the river, crying. Kouga growled with anger and started back. Go on ahead boys; I’ve got to make a detour._

_Good luck boss!!_

_He ran in the opposite direction smelling for her scent. That beautiful scent marred by Inu-kurro. He found her alright, crying near the river. He came up to her. “Kagome.” She looked up._

_“Kouga?”_

                He groaned, trying to shut out his brief courtship when he was immature and hadn’t known true loss. Yes, he became Alpha early, but that was natural. The loss of a mate and pack was much more potent, and while he didn’t truly lose her, that could very well change. He could lose her to old age or disinterest or to the Jewel. Who knew?

***

                                Kagome looked at herself in the mirror. She looked more…alive. At least for the first time in who knows how long, she looked forward to this ridiculous party. Her outfit was simple: a blue sparkly top that barely showed off her cleavage, and a dark purple pencil skirt. Her eyes were lined and her lips glossed. She had on wedges. Sakura was in the background admiring her handiwork.

                “You look awesome! Why don’t you usually dress up?”

                Kagome shrugged, “I didn’t feel like it, I guess.” Sakura nodded sagely.

                “The mysterious abusive boyfriend, right,” she said. Kagome vaguely nodded.

                “Hey, Sakura?”

                “Yeah, Kagome?”

                “There was a guy you kept talking about, your neighbor?”

                “Yeah what about him? Did you like what you saw? He’s only a couple of years older than us.”

                Kagome shook her head and turned away from the mirror.

                “I didn’t see him, but you mentioned that he would be coming with us?”

                “Oh yeah, apparently he’s an archery fan.” Sakura casually looked at herself in the mirror. “So I invited him out, you don’t mind, do you?”

                Kagome shook her head and tried to smile. “Of course not.”

***

                The club was loud and jam packed with twenty somethings in search of a good time. It hurt her ears and she wished she was home. Even the long arguments with Inuyasha were more bearable than this. She sighed and Sakura had to pull her to a booth and order booze. The rest of the team was there, and they cheered when they caught sight of Kagome.

                The drinking quickly got under way, each shot toasted to their victory over Tokyo U. Most of them were wasted in under an hour. Then they dispersed to find dance partners for the night. Kagome sat in the booth until she felt a hand tapping her shoulder. She turned around and instantly locked with intense blue eyes. _Kouga’s eyes._

                The man with Kouga’s eyes looked at her and smiled a wolfish smile.

                “Would you care for a dance?”

***

                Kouga got to the club and saw that his neighbor coerced his woman into drinking to their victory. She turned around and winked at him, waving him over. He smiled and nodded and headed towards the bar. He had a plan, and it involved getting Kagome alone.

                He observed the back of her head. He gulped. He glimpsed her outfit and suddenly his pants were uncomfortable. He shifted discretely and continued to drink his human drink.

                Finally everyone left her alone. He downed the rest of his drink and set it down hard. The bartender looked at him with sympathy, mouthing ‘good-luck’ to him, which Kouga acknowledged. He made his way across the floor and gently tapped on her shoulder. Her scent, always pure, always light, was slightly perfumed with drink.  He ignored it and stilled his nerves.

                She turned around. Her eyes, staring straight into his.

                Time stopped as they gazed at each other, grey into blue. He smiled.

                “Would you care for a dance?” Another eternity passed before she smiled back at him and placed her dainty and calloused hand into his. Both experienced electricity.

                Their eyes stayed on each other as he led her to dance floor. They stayed on each other as they swayed in sync to the music, having a conversation all their own.

                _Kouga, is it you? Is it really you?_

_Yes, Kagome I’m back._

The music changed to a more upbeat song.

                _Will you stay?_

_As long as you want me._

_I missed you._

They stilled in the middle of the floor. Kouga took her hands in his and placed them on his chest.

                _I’ve waited 500 years to see you, to be with you._

“Higashiyama Kouga,” he said out loud.

                “Higurashi-wait, _you’re_ the man looking for his wife?”

                He smirked. “Well, I couldn’t very well say mate, now could I? But yes, Kagome,” he placed a palm on her cheek, “that man that called your shrine looking for his wife was in fact me protecting you and waiting for you.”

                “What about your son?”

                “Higashiyama Shippou was the mastermind behind this plan.”

                “Shippou’s still alive?!”

                “Yes, and is waiting for you to come to us.”

                Kagome broke out in a sob, and jumped into Kouga’s arms. He pressed her closer and placed his head on top of hers. A slow song came on and they slowly swayed, holding each other in their arms.

                Sakura was walking towards them when she noticed their intimate positions. She smirked and walked away from the reunited pair. Kagome would have to answer to her soon. But for now, she would leave them alone.

                Kouga and Kagome danced together, feeling the words could come later. But finally, Kouga whispered, “Do you wanna get out of here?” She numbly nodded.

                She gathered her things and they stepped out into the night.

***

                He walked her to the shrine. They talked about the trivial things, but mostly kept silent, preferring to feel each other’s closeness. Kagome reveled in the feeling that his presence gave her and the knowledge that he was there all this time.

                He told her about Shippou and why he wasn’t in Japan. She looked forward to see him again.

                Finally, they arrived at the shrine.

                Kouga was about to walk her to her door, when Kagome stopped him.

                “Have you ever seen the well?”

                “No.”

                She smiled and held out her hand. “Come, I’ll show you.”

                She bravely walked to the old house that kept the well and undid the three year old lock. The door creaked when it was open but Kagome didn’t even blink when she walked in. Kouga followed her inside the building. In the darkness he could make out a small structure that made it to his thighs.

                Kagome was sitting on the ledge, observing him with a smile.

                “So this is the well,” he said. She nodded.

                “This is the time portal.”

                His eyes took on seriousness and he pulled her into his arms.

                “Kagome?” he asked.

                “Yeah?” she asked, suddenly breathless.

                “Do you still wish to be my mate?”

                Her eyes watered.

                “Yes, I do.”

                He threw his head back and howled in triumph. _She’s still mine! She’s still mine!!_

His head came down and his lips crashed down on hers. Her hands reached around to grab his ponytail, and gripped it, deepening the kiss.

                They broke apart, breathing hard. Their foreheads touched. And both smiled.

                They were together again, and at that moment, nothing else mattered.


	7. Restart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So....it takes me almost two months to write this one.... Why? Because my computer broke down and it took me a very long time to recover all of my files in order to continue. Also, I had classes and lots of other stuff. But this one is pretty long and I hope that you guys like it!!   
> Kudos, comment, whatever at your leisure!!!

               They stood like this for a while, processing that they were finally together. Kouga focused on her scent and on the weight in his arms. He couldn’t believe it. She was in his arms. His again. He smiled a true wolfish grin. They were _together. Mates to be again._

               Kagome was even more surprised that she was being held by Kouga. After thinking he would have had to die, or was with a wolf demoness, it was shocking that he was there with _her,_ of all people.

               “So why stalk me?” she asked after her insecurities showed through.

               There was a warm chuckle. “Isn’t that what I have been doing since the beginning? Merely a courting ritual at this point.”

               “How did you find me?”

               “When Shippou and I remembered, it was around 1750. By then, tentative records were being kept, at least a registry of mikos, monks and any surviving youkai. I’m not quite so sure about when ordinary humans started, but at least people knew the shrines. And the Shippou knew your era. So, we kept watch over the old village. When birth records became public, it was much easier. And from then on, we patronized the shrine.” Kouga shrugged, even though he remembered how nerve wrecking it was to watch a young Kagome go through ordinary events and unable to help, unless he wanted to change the past. Shippou had moved away to that dark cold place for his mate’s sake and the week before Kagome’s fifteenth birthday, Ginta and Hakakku finally moved away. They kept in touch, but he still felt the loss.

               But Kagome didn’t know. She knew him as the quirky, arrogant adolescent youkai. Would she love him if he showed his scars? Would he be strong enough for her? She was powerful and been through many things, and he couldn’t have her think he was a coward. Would he be able to keep her?

               They transferred themselves on top of the well covering, each deep in their own thoughts. Her cellphone went off, and she grimaced at him.

               “It’s my mom,” she told him. He nodded.

               “Mom! I’m fine!” she yelled into the phone. Because of the wood, the sound didn’t echo.

               “Mom, mom, MAMA! I’m okay. I’m in the well house with Kouga.”

               The phone suddenly disconnected.  Kagome turned to Kouga.

               “What was that about?”

               He started to scratch his neck.

               “Well, hehe, see, they knew about me…for a while.”

               Kagome’s eyes twitched, “How long is a while?”

               Kouga never seen this angry and he was scared. He took a deep breath. “For five years now.”

               “ ** _WHAT?! FIVE FUCKING YEARS?_** ”

               At that moment, he finally understood the half-breed. It took a strong male to not cower in front of that gaze. He briefly wondered if she should have mated Lord Sesshomaru. The taiyoukai would not have not begged, like he was doing now. Was it too late to resurrect him?

               He took a deep breath and prepared his defense.

               “When you first fell though the well, your Mother didn’t trust me. It took those two years you traveled for us to gain her trust. After the battle, you didn’t seem to remember, so for a couple months I and Shippou left the country. Then, you remembered. But you were so damaged that your grandfather warned us to stay away. So, we kept waiting and this past year, your grandfather finally started to-”

               “So, you’re saying that a year came and went and you _still_ didn’t come for me until _now_?! Did you know that I thought you completely forgot about me or that you were dead?”

               Kouga growled out, “Then why didn’t you move on? I never did! If I could commit to you _500 years ago,_ when I fucking _ate_ humans, then why did you think I could move on?! Because you’re human? If I didn’t give a shit about that, then why would I now?”

               “I couldn’t move on! Believe me, I’ve tried. I gave up on you. I still loved you, but I gave up all hope. I thought you were like-”

               Kouga grabbed her, “Don’t say it. I’m nothing like him.” He pressed her against him, trembling, “I’m **_nothing like that bastard_**. NOTHING.” He felt his woman shaking and crying, instantly picking her up and setting himself down on the closed old well, nuzzling her. He couldn’t lose her now. Even though he now knew fear, and now knew what it was like to be compared to the hanyou, he wanted to make sure that Kagome would not ever recognize the similarities between him and Inuyasha. If she did, then she wouldn’t want him anymore.

               They stayed that way for a long time before Kagome and Kouga stopped shaking. Kagome checked her phone. It was 3am. She had to get to the main house.

               He walked her to the sliding doors, seeing that the light in the kitchen and knowing that everyone would now know.

               “Kagome?” he asked. Insecurities bugged him, and now he was acting like that mutt. She turned to him, “Yeah?”

               “Will I see you in two days’ time?”

               She smiled shyly and nodded. He breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn’t rejecting him. He watched her walk in and heard Mamiko exclaim about the hour. He sighed and disappeared into the night.

***

               “Where were you?” Mamiko asked her daughter. She noticed that her daughter had tear tracks on her cheeks. Kagome felt a surge of anger and walked past her mother for the first time in her life.

               “Kagome, you may be twenty and a champion but I’m still your mother and you will show respect. What happened? You haven’t answered any of your calls and when I called Sakura, she said that you walked off into the night with her neighbor.”

               Souta, woken up by his nocturnal ejaculation, was about to walk downstairs into the kitchen when he heard his mother yell at his sister.

               “Well Kagome? Who was this man, 'Kouga'? What did you do and where the hell were you?”

               “I was by the well.”

               “You dragged a stranger in the middle of the night to our shrine and to the well? What has gotten into you as of late? Is this about the well, or is this about your mystical battle in the Jewel? I hardly recognize you anymore. I should have never allowed any of the Shikon no Tama foolishness to happen to you. If it weren’t for-”

               “Higashiyama Kouga? Yeah, I know. He’s the man that I left with.”

               Mrs. Higurashi’s mouth fell open. “You met him?”

               “Yeah, today. At the club. When were you going to tell me? And that guy, right before I disappeared, was that Shippou?”

               Mamiko gulped. “Yes. It was both of them. They convinced me and your grandfather to have your adventure. Then, when you came back for the final time, I told him to stay away, that because of him, you had to go through all of it.”

               “You still haven’t told me about when you would tell me.”

               “Your grandfather thought it best to test the youkai, that it was up to Kouga. In fact, today, Kouga showed up to the competition and your grandfather told him that if he didn’t do something soon, he would never be welcome here at the shrine.”

               “So, you knew for three years that he was alive and waiting for me and didn’t bother to tell me.”

               Mrs. Higurashi hung her head in shame. “Yes, we thought it for the best.”

               Kagome, in an uncharacteristic move, clenched her fists. “I see. I’m going to bed. And I’m seeing Kouga on two days.”

               “I just want you to be happy.”

               Kagome didn’t reply, she just walked off towards her bed. Her family weren’t who she thought they were.

               Souta scrambled off and hid in the shadows. He didn’t want to face his sister right now. Usually when she was angry, it was explosive and was over in a few seconds, but now a new Kagome emerged. And he didn’t know how to deal with it.

***

               For the next two days, Kagome avoided everyone, including her brother. She worked on her assignments, and tried on clothing. At night, she did her Goshinboku ritual. She still didn’t know who it was that was buried there.

               The second day, she went into the shed and went through the old stories. She stopped when she found _The Legend of the Ookami Princess._ Her gray eyes widened and she quickly looked around, making sure that nobody was following her around. Her eyes filled with tears. It was her favorite tale as a girl, back when she was an only child and otou-san was still alive.

               She sat on the floor and opened the scroll.

               _Back when the world was new, the land was divided up in demons and their animal counterparts. There lived four major clans: the Neko, the Ookami, the Inu and the Kitsune. None of them liked one another all that much, and the Neko were especially hated, as they weren’t descended from the Great Canine like the rest. In anger and resentment towards their canine neighbors, they caused great suffering and war among the rest._

_The Great Inu, Kitsune and Ookami clans met one day under the new moon, to protect themselves from the all-seeing felines. Each group leader brought their families and their heirs. Usually heirs fell to the first born, but in war times, the true heir would not be that first born. Instead, the leader chose an older male or female, usually an adolescent to be heir, and the infant would only be heir if the older member died or war ceased. And so, each brought their family and heir._

_The Ookami brought along his daughter, Yuki, and his heir, Ichigo. Ichigo was the fastest and the most loyal of his pack, and was tasked with protecting the princess. If things went well, they would mate within Yuki’s maturity. Then they would lead his clan when he died._

_Yuki was oblivious to her protector, and instead liked to run away from him. He smothered her and she wanted to be free! With her pretty gray eyes, she could get away from Ichigo easily, even though his eyes were unusually blue and so, he should not have been so lost in hers. But she had other powers._

_She was a small seer, a child that could accurately predict the future, and so well, that already her counsel was needed by her father and her mother. That’s why, at such a young age, she was included in these important meetings. And which is why Ichigo was willing to mate her. If he had the power of Sight, he could lead the clan to where they weren’t before. That is, at first._

_The meeting with the three Canine Clans commenced and without even the first drop of sake, they started to discuss the Neko._

_“They need to be killed! All of them!” barked the Inu, a great silver one with wide gold eyes and silver markings under his eyes. On his forehead was a royal purple crescent moon._

_“That would make us worse than them. We need to simply outsmart them,” calmly said the Kitsune, a red haired, green eyed creature with nine gold tipped tails. Unlike his calm tone, the tails were thrashing erratically around._

_There was silence. Then a small voice whispered, “Killing them won’t work. They will grow so numerous as to be tamed by the ones that come after us.”_

_The confusion could cut through the air as the Inu, Ookami and Kitsune turned to Yuki._

_“Who comes after us?”_

_“They will call themselves ‘humans’.”_

_The leaders stared at each other. Nekos, to be tamed? By some other creature other than themselves? The great Ookami, with short black hair and eyes, turned sharply to his daughter._

_“Describe these ‘humans’, Yuki,” he ordered her._

_“They will look like us. And they will cover the entire of the Earth. Their hair will be all the colors of the rainbow, their eyes the same. They will live less, and be weaker. They will hate each other more than they will hate us. They will create monsters. They will be ugly and greedy. Their packs will be weaker than their bodies. And they will tame every creature that came before them.”_

_Her words were received with horror. Her next words startled everyone._

_“We need the Nekos.”_

_The Kitsune snorted. “They killed my heir, and my first born. My mate is with kit again, and is hiding underground with the tanuki. I will not show mercy to the Neko. They will feel my pain!”_

_One of his tails hit the Inu, and the silver haired beast bared his fangs at him. “Watch where your tails go, **kitsune.** Or I will make you do so.”_

_The kitsune simply retracted his tails from the great inu’s back and turned his head away. They talked long into the night and decided to wait for the Neko to attack them._

_And so, the years went by, Yuki growing up and Ichigo awaiting to gain her favor. He proclaimed her his woman, and chased every other male away. She was annoyed by this, and ran off to some corner of the vast network of their cave system, which Ichigo would eventually find and give a token of his favor._

_He was falling in love with her, not just for her Sight, but because she was kind and selfless and every inch the princess. But she was confused about him. There was another, an inu, who paid much attention to her, who fought with Ichigo. But this was a lone inu, an even if she wanted to go off and leave her clan, duty bound her strong to Ichigo and her people._

Kagome frowned. She didn’t remember this part. Did otou-san omit this part about the inu? In fact, this story seemed much more grownup than the one that her father told her. In the one that her father told her, Yuki and Ichigo fell in love equally. This seemed…a little familiar. She read on.

               _Finally, Yuki was grown up. And the Neko still haven’t attacked. But the creatures called humans arrived on their group of islands and started to cause destruction. She was curious, so one night she snuck away, unaware that Ichigo followed her. She found a human village and watched them. She had been right, they were ugly. And they treated their cubs and mates with such cruelty! Then she saw. She was a neko with two tails forced to turn small to protect itself. Its fellows disappeared to save themselves._

_The transformed neko was taken by a human with a great weapon on its back. She was so engrossed in the destruction that Ichigo took her. Once she realized that she was staring at the sky, she started to growl and snarl away her attacker._

_“Would you shut the hell up? You want those humans to find out about us? You were right about the Neko. Now, let’s tell your father,” Ichigo said. She nodded and he continued to carry her on his shoulder._

_He carried her until they reached the clan lands, at which point he put her down by a stream. She stared at the water in shock. He was concerned, so he took off his armor, and hugged her. There was nothing inappropriate. They were to mate in 30 moons time._

_She was silent for a while._

_“Ichigo?”_

_“Yuki?”_

_“Are you scared?” He thought about it._

_“No. Not for myself.” She thought that noble._

_“Ichigo?”_

_“Yuki?”_

_“I had a vision.”_

_He looked at her. “What was it?”_

_“Our tribe will be safe. For a long time.”_

_“And the Inus and the Kitsunes?”_

_“All of them. Even the Neko.”_

_Ichigo sighed in relief. He didn’t ask more, of what was really to come._

_Yuki suddenly wanted to know what it would be like to kiss Ichigo. It was stupid, but she had a thought and she acted on it. She leaned in and kissed him quickly. Then she stood up and Ichigo watched her walk away. She finally kissed him._

_Thirty moons later, they mated. Time sped up and her father died, and the princess became queen alongside her mate._

_Once again, war was upon them. This time, with the humans and now all four great clans met at the night of the new moon. Yuki told them that while there would be some casualties, this would the final war…. for now. Yuki kept quiet on the true final war, for she would not be there to see it. She would be long gone._

_This time, it was easy because they all had a common enemy. They would attack and take back their land._

Kagome was startled that she was at the end. Where was the sacrifice? There was a knock at the door to the shed and she went to go open it. Her grandfather was on the other side.

               “Kagome, since when do you care about this old place, eh?” he chuckled, then he bustled in. “It’s late, Kagome-chan, what were you doing?”

               “I was just, reading?” Her jii-san frowned when he saw the scroll.

               “Why are you reading that?”

               “Otou-san used to read it to me.”

               “Yes, he did, and sugar-coated it too much. Such a shame, and him coming from such a prominent shrine family.”

               Kagome giggled despite herself. “I saw. There’s a part of the story missing.” Her grandfather stopped polishing a vase. “There is?”

               Kagome held it out to him. “Yeah, there is.” He carefully set aside the heirloom and cleaned off his hands and inspected it.

               “Hmmm, that’s strange. What’s missing is the most important part. Only that Inuyasha and one other man was in here. Huh.” He carefully rolled up the document. Kagome stared at him, in surprise. He wasn’t even angry? She shook off her head. It was just some scroll. Though who was that guy who came in here and just took something?! She sighed. She left after jii-san wasn’t more forthcoming. She would just have to find more information on her own.

***

               Kouga checked himself in the mirror one last time. Jeans, a t-shirt, and his hair in a ponytail. Other than his fangs and tail, he looked like himself.

He sighed and grabbed his keys. His stomach was filled to the brim with butterflies. His hands were shaking and he barely picked up his keys.

               Kagome wasn’t much better. She debated between putting on makeup or not. She decided to place a bit of lip-gloss and secure her hair in a bun with a few tendrils around her face. She was wearing one of her new tanks and worn out jeans.

               Souta watched his sister get ready for the date with Higashiyama-san. He hesitated before he pushed open the door.

               “Nee-chan?” he asked. Kagome turned back from the mirror. “Yeah Souta?”

               “Don’t you think you’re making a huge mistake?”

               Kagome frowned. “What are you talking about?”

               He ruffled his hair. “I mean, you met this guy five hundred years ago. He obviously changed. Why can’t you, just move on?”

               “Souta…”

               “I’m just saying that you deserve better! Why can’t you date a nice guy?”

               “Like Hojou?”

               Souta blushed. “No, not him necessarily. Just…not an ancient demon, you know?”

               “Why are you so concerned? Kouga is nice.”

               “Wasn’t he the one that kidnapped you?”

               “People change. And it was five hundred years ago anyway.”

               “Kagome, we’ve all met him. Nobody likes him. We’re worried. Okaa-san was hoping you would forget all about him.”

               Kagome stopped fiddling with her hair and sat on her bed. She patted the seat next to Souta.

               “I know you’re concerned, Souta-kun. But I love him. And he knows me and what happened. What boy in this era will let me be myself? I can’t be anything normal, and anything normal won’t want to be with me. I’ll sound crazy to them. Kouga knows. He’s one of the last of us. You get that, don’t you?”

               He nodded reluctantly. “Okay, nee-chan. But the second he hurts you, I will fly my ball at him.”

               She smiled and hugged him, while he tried to struggle. “Let go!”

               The doorbell rang. The two siblings pulled apart, Souta with a scowl on his face.

               “Better go,” he said.

               “Yeah, I better,” Kagome replied. She gathered up her purse, her cellphone, wallet and keys.  She was at the stairwell when she heard her mother lecturing Kouga. She shook her head and headed down the kitchen.

               “I’m ready!” They both looked up to her going down the stairs. Kouga looked stunned. She was breathtaking, even in more casual clothes. She smiled back at him and took his hand.

               “I’m off!”

***

               The car ride was uncomfortable. The city was quiet, since it was a weekday, and after working hours. They drove for an hour to outside the city limits to a park. Kouga fetched a basket and at Kagome’s confused look, he smirked and said, “Food?”

               They settled under a tree that looked over the city and ate. They talked over what had happened over the past few days. Kagome told him about the scroll.

               “The _Ookami Princess?_ I’ve heard of it, but never actually got the chance to read it. My tribe always kept the story hush-hush.”

               “And nobody wanted to know what it was about?”

               “We were told there were dangerous secrets in the story. When I became Alpha, the story faded out of focus. The only ones that knew it were the elders. And they were all killed.”

               “I read yesterday, because my father told me the story. But the scroll was completely different.”

               “Really?”

               “Yeah.” Kouga frowned at the information, but shrugged it off. It was probably some unimportant ningen tale for little children. It wouldn’t do to dwell on that.

               After that, it was easier to speak, to joke, and to touch. They fell asleep together under the tree and woke with the sun rising in front of them.

               It was several hours past dawn when Kouga walked Kagome to the door and hesitated. Could he kiss her? He did without thought mere days ago, but it seemed like a lifetime. Kagome saw the indecision in his eyes and threw her arms around his neck, pressed her body to his and kissed him deeply.

               _I forgive you. I want you in my life._

               He gripped her waist.

               _Truly?_

_Truly._

               And then there was no longer doubt.


	8. Feudal Era Challenge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY VALENTINES DAY GUYS!! Since all my lovely readers are my valentines, my gift to you is this chapter!!! *blows many kisses* Some things to notice: I'm changing the rating to Explicit because yes, lemons are officially a thing (and maybe one in this chapter? who knows), and because I'm about to start cussing in this story as things get way more intense between everyone. As for violence, there's already some in previous chapters and it's only going to increase from there.

 

              The classroom was crowded with parents and small children. The calligraphy hung on the far wall; the kanji messy and dripping all over the place.

 

               Sakura and Kagome waited for the teacher to calm everyone down. In a rare effort to expand the archery team, the university decided for the members to hold archery classes for the local school children. The members who were willing to hold classes could earn money from the lessons. So far only Sakura and Kagome signed up, the former because she was thinking of teaching as a profession, the latter because she wouldn’t mind making money while keeping her skills relevant. They had won all other competitions and Kagome was bored. She liked children, so why not?

 

               “Okay class, calm down! We have two very special guests today!” the teacher announced. Sakura and Kagome, dressed in their gear, bowed respectfully to their audience. The children quieted almost instantly and the parents shot grateful looks at the two young women.

 

               “Hello, my name is Amano Sakura, vice-president of the Tokyo City University Archery Team, and this is Higurashi Kagome, team captain.” Kagome smiled at the parents and stepped forward.

 

               “Konichiwa, we’re here to talk about our archery team. Even though our university isn’t the best, our team is, and we decided to start a class teaching children the basics of archery, as well as keep them entertained until you can pick them up.” There were murmurs of approval. The school’s notorious lack of after school programs to broaden and nurture their children was well known. This was a poor school, in a sub-par neighborhood. At least archery was a sport.

 

               Kagome continued, “Along with archery, there will be story time and games, and if need be, homework help.”

 

               The teacher, nodded along with their monologue. Ms. Tanaka had tried to lessen the load of her and her colleagues’ work and the university sending these two was a godsend.

 

               A parent raised their hand and Sakura respectfully nodded towards the man. “How much would this cost?”

 

               Sakura and Kagome deliberated between the price. They were only students themselves so, “1,300 yen per child, per day, no matter how old they are.”

 

               More murmurs.

 

               “How often will this be open?” Sakura looked to Kagome. She wasn’t as flexible as Kagome, who practiced in the dojo almost every day, but Sakura could only spare herself on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the day. What about the team? Why didn’t the university give more instructions?

 

               “Five days a week, from Monday to Friday, 3pm to 7pm,” Kagome finally said. Sakura breathed a sigh of relief. They would have to push the team to practice earlier, but if they didn’t want to help with the duties of their team, they would be punished.

 

               So far, only five kids were signed up for this program because of the cost and the lack of child minders.

 

               Ms. Tanaka looked over the signup sheet. It was disappointing that so few children were allowed by their parents. From all the work she put in organizing the event, she expected a higher turnout and more volunteers. She glanced over at Amano and Higurashi. Both girls were rehashing and planning for this endeavor but she had yet to see some excitement for this project. Amano looked tired but Higurashi looked determined. For what? She stepped closer to listen to their conversation.

 

               “I’m just worried about our team.”

 

               “Well, I’m Captain, and if they want to stay on the team, they have to help us. We still practice on Saturdays and early Mondays. This thing could help them practice their range. We barely won the last competition.”

 

               Amano giggled. “That’s because you couldn’t stop thinking about Kouga-san!”

 

               Higurashi blushed. “That-that’s not true! I was tired and-”

 

               “You were tired because you were doing kami-sama knows what with him the night before!”

 

               More blushing. Ms. Tanaka smiled, and looked at her wedding ring. She remembered when she was dating her husband. She sighed and walked away, deeming them quite competent to deal with this new program.

 

               The girls deliberated in whether they should charge so much for the program but thought better of it. If they only got more of the team, they would get more children and then their hands would really be full.

 

***

 

               Kagome hummed to herself after she left the school, content. She had an actual purpose now, and she wasn’t about to give it up! In the last couple weeks, she reconnected with Kouga, but that left a gaping hole in her. He had a job and another life as well as her. Her team was so important, but it wouldn’t be the only thing!

 

               With the archery season over, usually, she would hibernate in her room, on her computer, finishing her work way ahead of schedule and using her shrine duties to distract her. Not anymore!

 

               She heard her cellphone go off, and seeing it was the ookami that popped in her head, she answered it.

 

               “It’s Kagome.”

 

               “Figured it was you. How did that presentation go?”

 

               Kagome looked both ways and walked down the diagonal sidewalk.

 

               “It went okay. We have five kids signed up; it shouldn’t be too bad.” She crossed the street and ignored the pointed stares her way. She grimaced. How did Inuyasha ignore them whenever he came with her to the modern era?

 

               “So, when are you coming back to the shrine?” Kouga asked as she descended the stairway to the subway. She paid her way and waited for the train to come.

 

               “Give me ten minutes, my train just arrived.”

 

               “I wish you would just allow me to drive you around.”

 

               “You have an actual job; Kouga, it’s completely fine.”

 

               “I’m not working now, I could have picked you up.”

 

               Kagome sat down, set her purse on her lap and glanced at the teenagers making fun of her wardrobe and continued back to the conversation. “Kouga, I’m fine. Are you at the shrine?”

 

               “Just arrived. Your mom’s oden is amazing.”

 

               She giggled. “See you then.”

 

               “Bye, love you.”

 

               “Love you too.”

 

               The rest of the trip was uneventful, except for a few stares and she got to the station in less than eight minutes. In another four, she rounded the corner and started to climb up the stairs, where she felt her mate-to-be impatiently waiting for her.

 

               “You said ten minutes,” he said as he hugged her. She hugged him back and then led him back to the house.

 

               “My train took eight, and my walk took four. I’m surprised that Mama gave you oden.”

 

               He smirked, “She can’t help but love me.” Kagome smiled back and opened the screen door.

 

               “Guys I’m home!”

 

               There wasn’t any response and Kagome kept calling out until Mrs. Higurashi came down the stairs, wiping her hands with a hand towel.

 

               “Oh, Kagome, you’re home!” she said, lightly hugging Kagome. Kagome smiled tightly at her mother. “Where’s Souta and Jii-chan?”

 

               “Oh, Souta’s at soccer practice and Jii-chan is off playing mahjong with a few of his friends. Want some oden?”

 

               Kagome shook her head. “I should just…get ready.”

 

               Mamiko turned to look at her daughter. “Oh, you and Kouga going out?”

 

               Kagome continued to walk up the stairs but shouted down, “Yeah!” Mamiko glared at the demon next to her underneath her eyelids, and sighed. Where was Inuyasha? Why wasn’t he in the place of this arrogant youkai? Inuyasha would never act like that.

 

               Kouga felt uncomfortable under Mamiko’s stare, so he simply walked towards the door to wait for his woman. He hoped she would get ready quickly. Even Mrs. Higurashi’s fake hospitality was grating on his nerves. He wanted to be out with, or on top of, Kagome.

 

               The Fates were merciful. Kagome only took ten minutes to change, clean herself and leap into his arms.

 

               “Don’t be out to long!” Mamiko yelled at Kagome’s swinging ponytail. Her _ungrateful_ daughter simply waved in acknowledgement, and she and that wolf went down the steps, their laughter drifting upwards.

 

               All Mrs. Higurashi could think of was just how _wrong_ they were together. She felt uncharacteristically, but strongly, that Kouga had to _leave_ and she would put a stop to it if she had to. She didn’t know where this came from, and she didn’t care. Their relationship would end, or else.

 

***

 

               Kagome giggled as Kouga’s palm started to caress her upper thighs as the movie drew to a close. Her face, as furiously as she was blushing, was hidden by the darkness in the theatre. Feigning innocence, she threw her hand out to scratch the back of his neck. This drew out a small growl that alerted the other patrons of their activities. Immediately, they withdrew their limbs and pretended innocence.

 

               Kouga was eyeing her, wondering when the damn three-hour movie ended. It was something about dreams, and it was made by an American director so the dub was terrible. But Kagome insisted on seeing it. But as soon as the movie ended, he would try not accidently mate her while working on her his frustrations. They’ve been together for weeks!! It was time, damnit.

 

               He let himself imagine it. Them on the bed, while he started to lick at that delicious looking, sexy, _sumptuous,_ midnight cravings worthy, shower masturbation-

 

               “Kouga?”

 

               He blinked. The lights were on and his _mate,_ no, “girlfriend” was waving her hands in his face. “Are you okay?” He smirked and leaned in.

 

               He nipped her earlobe, and said, “Yeah, I’m just hungry. Want a bite?” He heard the intake of breath and handed her his hand.

 

               “C’mon, we still have some time.”

 

               She giggled harder and took his hand. “Yeah.”

 

***

 

               The tension broke as soon as he dragged her into the house and slammed the door. She leapt up and started to kiss him passionately. His hands were occupied in trying to keep her up while not tripping over the stairs.

 

               He dumped her on the bed and climbed on top of her, breathing hard. His erection was obvious even through the thick jeans he wore and it was tough taking them off. Kouga swiftly unzipped her skirt and before long, they were both clad in only underwear, she straddling him, grinding on top of him while he was sucking on her neck.

 

               He was right. Her neck was delicious.

 

               His hands were kneading her buttocks, which were only covered by a thin layer of cloth. Her head was thrown back and her hands were working their way through his hair.

 

               She pushed him down and started to kiss him, a hickey forming on her neck. He flipped them over and he settled him between her long legs while they tried to catch their breath.

 

               He undid her bra and slowly, he took one of her nipples inside his mouth and sucked. Kagome kept massaging his hair and undid his ponytail.

 

               “Take off the youkai spell,” she whispered, “I want to know who truly is doing this to me.”

 

               He smiled and complied. His rounded ears became pointed, his eyes became more intense and his tails uncovered itself. His fangs were revealed when he opened his mouth and started to nip her neck. She whimpered loudly and threw her head back, her breath ragged.

 

               “Oh…Kouga!” she gasped when he started grinding his erection into her core. She gulped and moved her hands down his tan and muscled body. She reached his boxers and started to lower them down when Kouga’s clawed hands stopped her.

 

               He stopped paying attention to her neck to take a breather. He looked down on his prey with her gray eyes blazing.

 

               “Why did you stop?” she asked hoarsely. He kissed her deeply.

 

               “Don’t have condoms.” He smirked at her outrage. He leaned down and kissed her. He felt her wet panties imprinting themselves on him. Taking one last kiss from her luscious lips, he lay her down on his bed and started to kiss down her body.

 

               “Kouga?” her confused voice floated up. He smiled.

 

               “Just enjoy yourself,” he said as he peeled her underwear off with his fangs, his blue eyes meeting her gray ones.

 

               Kagome gasped as she felt his mouth at her core. She groaned and her pelvis opened itself up to the much-needed stimulation. Looked like her hands were getting a break tonight.

 

               At first, he only sucked on her clit, but then she started bucking at his face, and moaning for him to go faster. He quickly glanced at the clock, and then began to speed up. He carefully inserted two fingers in her hole and started to pump her, faster and faster. Soon, he felt her canal tightening up, and finally she screamed out her orgasm. Her hands gripped his freed hair and her legs became limp on either side of his head.

 

               He crept up her body, kissing it. His erection trailed near her opening and it was all he could do not to slam into her moist heat. He kissed her, allowing her to taste herself.

 

               He nuzzled while she attempted to bring him relief too, but again he stopped her. She looked up at him, puzzled.

 

               “I can take care of myself, koi,” he answered.

 

               “But why not let me?” she said, nipping his chin. He looked over at the clock. _Shit._ He got up. She followed him with her eyes.

 

               “Well, for starters, it’s 2am,” he said. Her eyes grew wide and she whipped herself to see.

 

               “SHIT!”

 

***

 

               It was close to fifteen before three before Kagome crossed the threshold of the Higurashi home. There was a light in the kitchen and Kagome knew just who was waiting for her. Guilty, she walked into the confrontation that would ensure her anger for the next two days.

 

               She was right. Mamiko Higurashi was sitting with her cooling tea for close to three hours now. She felt rather than saw, her daughter walk in, her clothes rumpled and her hair messy.

 

               “Why were you out so late?” she asked. Her hands gripped the tea mug.

 

               “I lost track of time,” Kagome replied. Mamiko sighed.

 

               “As always, tell me Kagome, what’s more important to you, us or that youkai?”

 

               “Why is it even a choice in the first place? I’m going out fighting anyone anymore. I now have a job. I’m active. I have friends. Why is Kouga an issue?”

 

               Her mother slapped the table so hard that the mug jumped and spilled its content all over. She stood up and gripped her only daughter on the shoulders.

 

               “Because he’s not reliable! Because he’s a coward, and because he stole you away from me, from this family once! And he rented you for two years that none of us _here_ knew if you were even alive or not!! Then he wouldn’t even show up, not for three goddamn years, in which you struggled to put your life back together. I know your so-called battle in that blasted gem displaced you, but god damn it Kagome, **_wake the fuck up already!_** ”

 

               Kagome pushed her mother away in a fit of rage, and strode across the kitchen to clean her mother’s mess. Tears prickled her eyes as she wiped up her mother’s favorite tea.

 

               “You call him a coward yet you told him to stay away from me for three years. We met through Sakura, who gave a shit about me. Unlike you, she knows him and she knew what I went through. She knows it was hard for me because she was there. For me. Unlike you, that is. I’m awake, and I see that my own family, who knew that the Shikon no Tama was _my duty_ , has changed from kind and considerate to selfish and scared.” She stood up and faced her mother.

 

               “Even if Kouga didn’t tell you to let me go to fight Naraku, I still would have done it.” She strode past Mamiko who stared at her willful child’s back and for a moment, _what have I done?_ echoed in her brain, only to be replaced with anger and self-righteousness. She _would_ get her daughter back.

 

***

 

**The Feudal Era Challenge!  
Bring your bows and arrows, boys and girls because we are about to destroy some demons!  
For only 1,300 yen per child, you can learn the basics of archery the way many mikos and kannushis learned hundreds of years ago. Brought to you by the Tokyo City University archery team, this course and day-care program aims to teach your children the love of archery…and have fun too!! Open Monday through Fridays from 3pm to 7.  
Hope to see you there!!!**

 

“Die, Naraku, die!” screamed a little girl, Mami, who Kagome was currently teaching to shoot at ten yards, using you guessed it: a crayon rendition of the spider hanyou.

 

               The day started easy enough. The five kids that signed up for the class arrived in sports clothing that Ms. Tanaka specially told the parents to dress the kids in. Kagome greeted them and then showed them around.

 

               Earlier that day, she arrived at the studio and decorated the space with pictures of the worst villains she ever fought. She then arranged them in an obstacle style setting, with each defeat of a villain allowing you to move on to a harder villain. They would all be different: some villains you had to get to by climbing, or going down the slide that they pulled out of a storage. Some you had to “jump” over lava or form a bridge. So far, Mami was the only one to make it fully through the course, with Kagome’s help of course.

 

               The easiest villains were the Thunder Brothers, then the centipede demon, all the way to the Band of Seven, Kagura and finally, Naraku. Before setting the kids to “fight” the demons, she told them a small story and let them have some snacks. Then, anyone that needed help, would get homework help from all the rest of the team (yes, the threat of being removed from the team worked!) and after that, they could start the course.

 

               After Mami hit Naraku in the nose with her mini bow and suction cup arrow, she squealed.

 

               “I am the true defender!! I’m priestess Shikon!” Kagome smiled and high fived the excited little girl. She had a feeling that at least she would come back. Kagome gave Mami her sticker to show she did it and led her to finish her homework, while checking up on the other three that were doing the course.

 

               Jirou, the smallest and the one that reminded her of Shippou, was struggling in shooting for the giant Bird of Paradise that he was close to.

 

               “Do you need help, Jirou-kun?” she asked the boy. He nodded solemnly and for the next ten minutes she coached him in how to shoot and how to hold his bow. Finally, he shot the bird, and he happily advanced on the next level, which was the slide and the Peach Man course. Just like with Mami, she helped get through the course, and then gave him the same sticker to show he did it.

 

               Seven rolled around, and only Jirou was waiting for his dad to pick him up. During the time, he helped Kagome and Sakura clean up the mess and then started to read. Sakura left, leaving Kagome alone with the little boy. He was still reading some adventure manga, so Kagome asked him what it was about.

 

               “Oh, this?” he shyly asked. Kagome smiled encouragingly, and he handed it over to her.

 

               The manga was called _Super Sword Game,_ and it was about a group of friends that discovered a special sword that allowed them to win any battle. The drawings were very pretty and Kagome said so to Jirou. He nodded shyly, and went back to reading it.

 

               Another fifteen minutes went by and still his father didn’t show up. So, she asked him, “What’s your father’s number?”

 

               Just then, she heard footsteps outside, and a gasping young man came in. He had long black hair, and big brown eyes. He looked familiar.

 

               “Jirou!” he gasped out. He bowed to Kagome and said, “I’m sorry Higurashi-san, my boss was riding me hard and wouldn’t let me leave until I ‘completed everything on my desk’!” He quoted his boss in a mocking voice.

 

               She checked the sign-out sheet. “It’s alright, Kusumoto-san, Jirou was safe and sound.”

 

               He smiled gratefully and reached for his pocket while Jirou was trying to show him around the course. He smiled at Kagome while Jirou dragged him around, showing the drawings. She smiled back at him, even though she wanted to go to Kouga’s. She sensed him outside the door.

 

               Finally, Kusumoto-san told his son, “Let’s not keep Higurashi-san, alright?” The boy nodded, “Hai!” and went to get his things.

 

               “I’m sorry, he’s got lots of energy and his mom isn’t, well, equipped to deal with it. I don’t know how, either, to be honest,” he apologized, handing her an extra 200 yen. She smiled gratefully. “It’s alright, he’s a sweet kid.”

 

               He beamed, “Yes, he’s the light of my life!”

 

               There was an awkward pause. “My name is Manabu, and yours, miss?”

 

               “I’m Kagome,” she awkwardly bowed. Another awkward silence.

 

               “Well, I hope to see you again, Kagome-san!” he said, grabbing his child, and hustling him out the door. She waved until he left the room and then sighed, sitting down for a second.

 

“How was the first day?” she heard Kouga ask, and felt his hands on her shoulders. She sighed, this time in bliss.

 

“It was tiring. I really don’t want to go to the shrine. Can I stay over at your place?” she asked. She felt a kiss on her spine.

 

               “Of course, anything for you,” he replied.  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys liked this chapter!!  
> Just a reminder: reviews make writers happy and motivated, as do kudos and stuff like that. Don't be shy! I can't know what you think if people don't tell me so go ahead and drop a line. One thing that will come as a direct consequence, is that the chapters will come out faster, larger and with more stuff (more action and lime-y and citrus-y situations). So I hope you enjoyed my newest chapter and again, happy valentine's day!!!


	9. Chapter Nine: The Last Straw

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey ya'll!! so sorry that it took me this long to post another chapter.  
> This is what happens when you're a burnt out college student with depression   
> But hey! I'm baaaccckkk!!!  
> Kudos, comments, bookmarks, and subscriptions always appreciated.

The weeks sped by and Kagome got used to her new routine. Practice in the mornings, homework and classes during lunch until two and then she sped over to the new daycare site. Until seven she helped kids and coached little league archery. She stopped by Kouga’s if she could; Kusumoto Manabu kept asking her to places and she only said yes to keep the peace at home. 

Kouga wasn’t happy about this arrangement but he understood that she needed this. So, he let her handle Kusumoto on her own. 

Well, not quite. He trusted her, really, he did. But that didn’t mean that he trusted the human man who smelled of arousal every single time he laid eyes on _his_ mate. Or touched _his_ mate. Or quite frankly, was in the vicinity of _his_ mate. 

So, he started showing up at the after-school practice grounds a little earlier than was strictly necessary and engage with conversations with Kagome’s teammates. Amano-san was particularly friendly, though there was a hard edge in her voice whenever he asked her how she did. The other girls would sometimes nudge her and hiss at her because “Kagome-senpai needs a man so don’t scare away this one.” 

He snorted just thinking about it.

To be frank, he needed her so much more than she ever needed him. It was always this way and it would always be this way. He just didn’t realize how much until they reunited. He thought that he was a man now, a man that could survive without his mate. Now he knew that would never be the case. 

So, he tried not to irritate the human. But that was hard. 

Kusumoto Manabu was a persistent suitor. He was a man with a child, and a child that loved Kagome, and she loved him. And Kusumoto Manabu took advantage to woo the twenty-year-old beauty with a troubled past. 

What’s more: he enlisted the Higurashi’s. They liked him for some reason that they never said, but they really hated Kagome’s current boyfriend. Manabu could see why.

Higashiyama Kouga had a past. He was a man that adopted a child that wasn’t that much younger than him. He was a punk. Probably had a tattoo somewhere on his body. No one knew him, and he knew no one. He certainly wasn’t good enough for a pure young woman like Higurashi Kagome. She was so naïve and didn’t know much of how greedy and grasping men could be. For all her murky past, she was an innocent. 

Manabu was determined to protect this fragile girl. 

***

Kagome wiped her brow and smiled at her young charges, including Jirou. He was such a sweet boy who really tried to do his best. 

After the initial Feudal Era Challenge, most of the team was on board most days and that meant more children that signed up. This was her favorite time of day, in which more children got their exercise and she had a purpose.

Today, there had been a record number of twenty children, and most of them were now going home. Kagome was going to go to Kouga’s place and hopefully cuddle. She missed her ookami mate-to-be; she hadn’t seen him in three days. 

Jirou went by the window as he usually did, waiting for his father. He took out another manga series and began to read as Kagome closed up.

“What are you reading this time, Jirou-kun?” she asked him. He looked up, startled. 

“Oh, I’m reading _Ookami Warrior Yuki_ today, Higurashi-sensei,” he replied. Kagome looked up and at the cover of the volume. 

“Oh really, what’s it about?” she asked. 

“Just this princess who becomes a warrior to save her people,” the little boy replied, halfway inside the manga again. Kagome blinked.

“Who’s threatening her people?” she asked, curious. 

“Humans,” he answered, and stuck his nose in the book. 

“Really?”

“Yup.”

Silence, then a text message popped up on Kagome’s screen. 

_Hey, it’s Manabu, sorry to text so last minute but I’m having difficulties leaving (you know my boss!). Can you take Jirou to my office? My wife is…. unavailable. Again! I’ll owe you dinner._

Kagome sighed. She wouldn’t get to see her ookami again. Still, this was her job and besides, she liked Jirou and his father. 

“Jirou-kun! Your father asked me to drop you off at his office.” The little boy looked up and sighed. 

“He’s been like this since Mom died.”

Kagome whipped her head around and asked, “Wait, your mother is dead?”

Jirou solemnly nodded his head. “She has been for two years now.” He looked at Kagome with confusion. “Didn’t Dad ever tell you?”

She shook her head.

“No, he always said that he was married and that she never…”

Jirou shrugged. “Well, Mama never did care but he was very sad when she did die.”

Something didn’t seem right. Why had Manabu lied? 

This plagued her mind as she sent off a text to her beloved: 

_Kusumoto-san had an emergency, so I can’t meet up with you again. I have to take his son to his office. I’m so so so sorry! I’ll make it up to you, I promise!_

To which he replied: 

_I’ll pick you up from the office. No way in hell am I letting Kusumoto-san monopolize my woman!_

Kagome giggled and texted him the station where she’d see him after dropping Jirou off. Her mood much lighter, she walked Jirou through the city and took him up the building in which Manabu-her friend, who apparently was widowed- worked. Odd that.

After leading Jirou through the halls and up the elevator, she navigated the dark office, leading Jirou by the hand. She’d been there at least once a week, so she knew her way around it blind.

At the door that spelled out “Marketing- Kusumoto Manabu” she knocked. Then she knocked again. Finally, she heard someone coming to the door and unlocking it. The door creaked open and the older man opened the door.

“Ah Kagome-san! Thank you so much for the favor! Would you like to eat dinner with me and Jirou-kun?”

She shook her head. “Sorry, I have to meet up with my boyfriend. Maybe next time!” She bowed and turned to the front of the office. A hand stopped her. She looked up at the bleary eyes of the man. 

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize you were meeting with Higashiyama tonight.” He leaned in. She wretched herself away from him, very much creeped out.

“Yeah well, ha-ha, he’s my boyfriend! Got to go!”

She practically ran from the office, very creeped out by Manabu’s sudden behavior, not to mention the lie that he told. Married?

That at least explained why his wife never picked Jirou up.

By the time she reached the station, she was shaking and when she spotted her Kouga, she flung herself into his arms and wouldn’t let go.

Kouga was concerned, so he didn’t protest the fact that she was shaking like a leaf from a little walk instead of fighting demons. She never shook like this.

Somewhere during the ride on the subway, she curled up and fell asleep. He wouldn’t let go, and mistaking this for a reunion of some sorts, a bunch of teenage girls were cooing and awing about them in the corner. 

He carried her from the train car (again, some of the girls-drunk- were crying about how they wanted that “hunk” to carry them) to his house. When he reached his house, he saw Amano-san looking out from the shutters and quickly closing them. What was her problem?

He shrugged, shifting his woman so that she as more comfortable and letting themselves in. He placed her in his bedroom, and then, started the tea kettle. 

Going back upstairs, he started to remove her clothing. Since it was Friday, there was no need in her washing these clothes right away. He set them aside.

Sometime during this undressing, Kagome started to stir, but only when all she had on was her underwear did she sit up.

“Kouga?” she asked, her voice hoarse. He turned to her and knelt next her.

“Yeah?”

“Can you please take off your glamour?” he chuckled. She never did get used to seeing him as only a human. He did as he asked and she in turn pulled him in for a kiss.

It was easy to get lost in it. And it was much easier when their tongues started to tangle up inside their mouths.

Kouga was the first to pull away, reluctantly.

“I have tea.”

Kagome shook her head, pulled him close and kissed him deep enough for him to buckle.

“Fuck tea, I want you.”

He laughed, and looked at her cute face. She was adorable when she pouted. He flicked her nose, then smirked. “It’s almost 9:30pm, you should tell your mom.” She groaned, reached for her cell phone, fired off a text and then turned it off. 

“There, I did that. You. Come. Here., I need you.” How could he resist?

Doing what he was told, (though what man could blame him?) he climbed on top of her and started licking her delicious neck. She moaned and started scratching his back through his clothing, trying to take it off.

He chuckled, wanting to make it harder for her as he ground his erection against her crotch, savoring her moans. She wouldn’t be deterred. She pushed him onto the bed and unceremoniously growled. 

“Stay here.” Again, he obeyed, enjoying her kisses, growling in pleasure while her soaked panties rubbed on his pants.

They wouldn’t stay there for long. After carefully peeling away his pants, and underpants, she started rubbing him and removing the rest of his clothing, kissing down his well-toned torso.

Reaching his erection, she smiled up at him slyly and licked his head while rubbing his balls. He almost came right there, but he didn’t want the sensation to stop.

<“Ka-go-me!” he whined, and a dark chuckle reached his ears. He tried to throw his head back, but he couldn’t, trying buck up her mouth while she sucked, licked, and kissed his balls dry. He couldn’t hold it; he came, and he came hard. He looked up, and saw Kagome licking his cum off her lips and then grinning. She leaned in.

“How was that?” her sultry voice sang in his ears.

“Well, you definitely made it up to me,” he said. She giggled.

“Good.”

A comfortable silence followed. After a while, he helped her take off those bothersome clothes and massaged her up and down her flawless back.

“Mm, Kouga. You don’t have to do this.”

“Of course, I do! You’re my woman, and I _always_ take care of my woman.”

“Yeah.”

She sounded so dispirited, so he broached the uncomfortable subject.

“What did that Kusumoto want? I felt your discomfort through your aura.” Immediately she tensed up. Giving up on the massage, Kouga hugged her from behind.

“Kusumoto-san……is a widower.”

“What do you mean?”

“Before tonight, whenever he was running late he would blame his wife for not taking care of Jirou, or say that she was unwell. Apparently, she has been dead for some time.”

Kouga felt a chill go up his spine. “Go on.”

“So tonight, when he texted me, he said that he would take me out to dinner, but I said no, I had plans with you.” She started shaking again. He hugged her closer.

“I got there, and it took him a while to even answer the door. He was drunk too. Then, he basically…” She couldn’t finish.

“For a second…he looked like Naraku.” He tensed.

“What?”

She nodded. “He had the same aura, or at least of someone that untrustworthy.” She started shaking again. Not knowing what to do, he continued to rub her until she fell asleep. He couldn’t. Not when someone was messing with his woman.

***

The next day, they spent the entire day in bed, touching but not touching. She wanted to go all the way with him, but something was stopping him from making her his mate. Completely.

Still, it was a break from her hostile family, who, upon reading her text messages gave her a radio silence. Well, other than a “Do what you want. I no longer care.”

Only Kouga’s kisses could make her feel better, and he gave her more than just kisses.

She knew that youkai needed to bond, and the hunt had interfered with their mate bond. But they were both strong. She was sure about him. She wanted him and only him. She was ready.

“Kouga,” she moaned out. In reward, he licked her bellybutton. She giggled. She looked out the window and saw the sun start to go down. She sat up, covered in his kisses and hands. She probably needed to go before she was completely kicked out. Not that she would care anymore. Kouga was here and he wouldn’t abandon her.

He licked again, this time on her lower thigh. She gave a heady sigh and fell back on the bed. This time, she had a small orgasm, and finally her belly rumbled.

Again, he licked her and bit her.

“If only I could do this to you every day,” his voice husky, filled with longing. She looked at his retreating back in confusion.

“What do you mean, if only? I’ll always be here, won’t I?”

He sighed, and looked back at her smiling, the sadness not quite bleeding away from his eyes.

“Silly me, I didn’t mean that, of course you’ll always be here.” He kissed her nose and gave her a hand.

“Let’s feed you. I can’t let my woman starve, now can I?” She nodded.

***

She got home, and no one was out on the shrine grounds, which should not have make her suspicious, but it was late summer; people usually prayed about something this late this time of year. She shrugged and made her usual compulsory offering to the Tree.

When she went inside, she knew it was trouble. Her mother, brother, and grandfather sat closest to the door, with Kusumoto Manabu and his son sat behind them.

“Kagome, sit down.” Her mother commanded.

She sat down, more curious than anything.

“We have been worried about you lately,” her mother continued. “We know how much the events of your attempted suicide have altered you.” She took a deep breath.

“But Higashiyama-san will not give you what you need. I command you, Kagome, to stop seeing him.”

“WHAT?!” Kagome jumped up from her chair, outraged. “What makes you say that?!”

“When you were fifteen, you grew too wild, and at the end of it all, what did that accomplish? What was the purpose? Some story-book life that you made up? That you dragged us all into?”

“You know exactly what I did and what I accomplished! You supported me! You _encouraged_ me! You sent me there with a smile on your face, pretending that I was sick, that I was injured, that I was depressed, that I got _raped_ , everything but the truth! You lied more than I ever did!”

“And now, you are worse off than you ever were!”

“How can you say that?! I found something I love to do, a person that I love-”

“Just like you _loved_ Inuyasha?”

Kagome looked around for any potential allies and found none. But why were Manabu and Jirou involved? Especially Jirou? He was a child!!!!! Her brother turned himself away, the traitor. She swallowed her rage and sense of betrayal and turned herself away from her relatives.

“I’m done listening to this. You turned your back on me, and I will leave. I survived worse than you and I will live through better.” She hadn’t stepped away two yards before her mother said, “You will not, or you will bring shame on us. Besides, this nice man made you an offer of marriage. What say you to that?”

“He never made me an offer, and I refuse.”

There was an ugly laugh.

“Why-ever not, my lovely Kagome? Am I not good enough?” Kagome closed her eyes and counted to ten. Then she turned around, and sweetly said,

“I cannot accept you, as you’re already married.” She bowed and tried to leave this oppressing place. But something was stopping her.

Kusumoto Manabu looked at her, seeming genuinely hurt.

“What did I do that would make you reject me? Is it my child?” As if on cue, Jirou started to cry. She shook her head.

“It’s not that. I’m already promised to Kouga.”

Her grandfather snorted. “So now you’re his whore then.” He turned away from her and left the kitchen. Souta followed, glaring at her, “You’re so selfish Kagome.”

Only her mother remained, shaking her head at her daughter. “I’m so sorry that my daughter is so ungrateful at the prospect of marrying a man with a nice steady paycheck. I taught her better than this.” She also left. Only Kusumoto Manabu remained with Jirou silently watching.

“I’ll change your mind,” he declared. He came up to her and cupped her cheek. “You deserve better than that punk. Your innocence would be better protected if I were your husband.”

She stepped away from him.

“Contrary to what you believe, I’m hardly innocent.” She was finally able to leave the kitchen.

***

She was packing in her room when the door opened, revealing Souta glaring at her.

“So, you’re actually leaving, again.”

“Yes I am. I’m going where I belong, and if that’s not with you then so be it.”

“I hate you.” She continued packing.

“You left us five years ago, and you never came back until several months ago. Now you’re leaving. Again. I hate you. You’re a selfish bitch. I curse the day I met that stupid ookami and encouraged him. Now I don’t have a sister. I hate you!” He screamed and ran away from her room. She calmly packed all of her things and thanked her lucky stars that she learned how to pack when she was traveling.

She didn’t look back at her childhood home and didn’t break her poker face until she got to Kouga’s. He opened the door, and she collapsed crying at his feet.


	10. Chapter Ten: Shippou's Winter Palace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is going to have a bit more "vocab" so to speak. The following words are Latinized Russian words:  
> Dacha: country house/ forest house  
> Babushka: grandma  
> Dedushka: grandpa

Kagome woke up, startled. She looked over at her sleeping mate, and after checking that he was still asleep, got up and put on her clothes and went outside, stepping on the fresh snow. She breathed out, and looked out in the silent forest.

Even after several months without her family, she couldn't ignore the gap left. She started hiking, walking past the trees beyond Shippou's "dacha", enjoying the quiet. So much has changed. Too much had changed.

After a while, she sat down in her favorite spot, looking out at a beautiful white meadow. The sun hadn't come up yet, and she was all alone.

Kouga sensed that Kagome had left the room, but didn't rush after her. He could feel through their developing bond that she needed to process everything. So, he lay in bed, thinking: Was this worth it? Should he have left her alone after all? Would she be happier now with her human family and married to that creep? At least she would be able to have her own child.

He didn't regret. No, not at all. But did she? Would she resent him in time, when her family died, and she couldn't say or hear "sorry"? As the sun came up, he lay there in the quiet of the room. Did he do the right thing?

When the sounds of the house were too difficult to ignore, Kouga got up and got dressed. He left the room, only to bump into Shippou's mate, Elizaveta.

"Ah, Kouga! I was about to call you and Kagome down for breakfast. Where is she?"

"She's out."

Elizaveta nodded. "It's got to be hard for her."

Kouga nodded awkwardly. "It is."

The two of them stayed that way until Shippou himself came out of another room, Tatyana perched on his shoulder. Kouga smiled ruefully at the image. Kagome missed out on so much.

The little kitsune threw her arms out and Kouga picked her up.

"Dedushka!" she cried out. She sniffed the air and cocked her head. Where was Babushka? The newest addition wasn't a stranger to her, hearing her whole life about the woman that saved her father. She wanted to play with her!

As if on cue, Kagome entered the home, her nose and cheeks red. Turning away from Kouga, Tatyana hopped into Kagome's arms. "Babushka! Come play with me!" Slightly wincing, Kagome smiled at the little girl. Not even twenty-one, and already a grandma. This would take some getting used to.

The rest of the morning was spent outside playing with the little trickster. She was definitely Shippou's: she tried to play hide and seek, trying to blend in, instead blowing up into a similar pink balloon as Shippou used to. By the end of the day, she was almost numb with nostalgia and sadness. This just didn't seem real.

After dinner, she retired to her and Kouga's room and tried to get a hold of herself when someone knocked on the door.

"It's me," Shippou's voice drifted.

"Come in."

He carefully came in and sat on the bed. "It's not the same, is it?"

She shook her head.

He sighed.

"I know. But I swear, Mom, that you _do_ belong with us. I finally feel whole now that you're here. Tatyana finally has a grandmother, and Kouga has you. You just happen to be the youngest one here. But since when has your life ever been normal?"

Kagome started laughing. That was so true. Ever since she fell down the well, her life was anything but normal. Then she started sobbing. And when she started, she couldn't stop. Shippou didn't hesitate to hug her and soothe her. He still remembered how she would do it on the road, even though she would be hungry and exhausted, or smarting from some insult.

"How can I be your Mother when I wasn't part of your life?"

He chuckled. "It's simple, you were. Always. Even when I didn't remember you, you were there. You were always there. No matter what. The day you took me in despite that damn hanyou, was the day you forever became my mother." Kagome cried harder.

Shippou didn't leave until she cried herself to sleep and Kouga came in the room, looking worried.

"She okay?"

Shippou shook his head. "No, and I don't think she will be for a long time." He thumped Kouga on the shoulder.

"I may consider you my Father, and you were everything to me throughout the years, but do not forget why I helped you. Do not make me regret it." Shippou left. Kouga nodded and told Shippou's back, "I'm not the hanyou, never was and I won't start now."

Kouga closed the door, took off his clothing, took Kagome's and cuddled her throughout the night, thinking about the day he truly started to hate the Higurashi family.

***

He quickly took his woman inside, then her stuff. He noted that she took everything, even though that didn't amount to much. He put the kettle on, knowing that she needed something warm right now. He had been on the phone with Shippou, explaining yet again why he couldn't completely mate her, even though if the mating mark didn't work, he would shorten his own life span to match hers.

She was upstairs, thankfully down crying but seemingly catatonic. Even though she was human, her pack turned on her, and it was very much painful. She sniffled and curled up into herself.

"If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to."

She shook her head. "No, I will." She told him everything, including what that damn shrimp did to get her to have sympathy for his father. She didn't spare any details about Souta, and what he said.

He felt a distant personal betrayal; this family promised him, and they betrayed his trust. But his feelings weren't important now. As he heard Kagome tell her tale, he grew more and more angry. When she finally fell asleep, clutching him, he carefully untangled himself from her and called his two betas.

Ginta was the first to pick up the phone.

"Boss? Why're you calling so late?"

"I have a favor to ask."

"What? What happened? Is something wrong with Sis?"

"Remember the deal I made with her family and how they threatened me when they thought I was going to betray it?"

Hakakku came on the line. "What's going on?"

Kouga quickly caught them up on the night's events. "And so, I want to do something."

"Like what?"

"Like stop donating to their damn shrine."

Silence.

"Isn't that a little, drastic?"

"What the fuck do you mean, drastic?"

"Well, it's not like we were donating to their shrine because of Kagome. It was because of their history."

Kouga sighed. "And where do they _get_ their fucking history?"

"The Shikon no Tama?"

"And who's the guardian of the Shikon no Tama?"

"Kagome!"

"Uhuh, and...?"

Silence. "OH!"

"Yeah. They disrespect my woman, they disrespect their very shrine. And what happens to disrespect?"

"They get punished!" Ginta crowed.

"That's right. Tell the rest of the pack. As soon as Kagome says the word, she'll be the new Alpha female. And since her pack disrespected your new Alpha female, and our very agreement, their donations get revoked."

"That'll be easy. Most of the pack stopped as soon as Shippou told them what was going on."

"When did he do that?"

"As soon as he heard about that Kusumoto prick." Hakakku volunteered.

"Just don't tell Kagome? She'll be furious and demand that we stop."

"I think Sis will be angrier that we even did this in the first place."

"That's true too," Kouga sighed. "I gotta go. I don't want to leave her alone, even asleep."

"Alright."

"Good luck Boss!"

He was going to need it.

For the next few days, she seemed fine. She went about her routine and he finally had her mostly to herself. Amano-san even came by and welcomed her officially, but then glared at him the entire visit.

After Kagome left the room, she set her claws into him.

"What the fuck is wrong with you? How could you go in between her and her family like that?!" she yelled at him.

" _I'm the one?_ Are you fucking kidding me? They're the ones that gave her that choice! Am I supposed to push her away because her family were the ones to order her around like that?!"

"It's because of you that she had to choose!"

"No I'm not. I'm happy that she chose me but I'm furious that there was such a choice."

"You're not good enough for her."

"I know that. But unlike her family, I will try my hardest to make sure that someday I will be." There was a pause. "Why do you hate me so much, Amano-san? Weren't you the one that pushed us together?"

"I never meant for you two to be so serious. She was supposed to get over her past with you and move on to better things."

"Well, I am glad that she doesn't see me like you do. Now, if you please, leave."

"Gladly." Amano-san left, not even saying good-bye to her supposed best friend.

"Kouga?" He whirled around to see her. She had tear tracks on her face, and for a second, she looked so small and so vulnerable that he couldn't believe it. Then, she ran to him and cried out loud, clinging to him. She mumbled something.

"What?"

"DO NOT LEAVE ME, PLEASE!"

He picked her up, bridal style and placed her on the bed. "Never. You're my woman, remember?"

Thankfully, she cracked a watery smile at him and kissed him on the lips.

Another week went by and she finally seemed normal.

And before the month was up, they were officially married and mated.

***

The next morning, Kouga was the one to wake up first. He adjusted his position around her and she squirmed, trying to get his warmth back. He glanced at the window. It was still dark out and he snuggled closer to her.

"Kouga?"

"Hmmm?"

"Do you think it's true about what the doctor said?"

"That we won't have cubs?"

"Yeah."

"I don't know."

"....do you want children?"

He looked at her. "Of course I do."

She peered at him. "They'll be hanyou."

He shrugged. "It doesn't matter to me. It never mattered to me, at least as soon as I knew you."

She turned herself on her back and stared at the ceiling. "I know we just married and mated, and I still have classes and the team and everything, but..."

He turned towards her. "But?"

She sighed. "I have this urge to do it all over again. I never thought I would be here now, and I always thought I'd be a mother by now."

"I know it doesn't feel that way but Shippou is still your son. And...I just...I want you to myself for a while."

She nodded. "Yeah, me too. I'm just terrified right now. With everything."

He tucked her into himself. "I know. And I'm sorry."

She turned towards him. "For what?"

"For making you choose."

"You're the only one who hasn't." She kissed him gently. "I know what I was doing. It just hurts, that's all."

He hugged her. "I know, and I swear, we will have a full family. We'll have cubs, and Shippou will be their brother and Tatyana their older niece. They will both torture our cubs and our cubs will torture them." She giggled, and he kissed her nose. "Trust me. We have plenty of time."

They lay there as the room lightened up. Her stomach growled. They both laughed.

***

The atmosphere lightened up at the dacha then. Shippou, wanting to spend some time with Kagome, invited for a walk into the small town. Depressed as she had been, she barely left the two-story wooden cabin in the woods.

They walked in silence until something occurred to Kagome.

"You know, Shippou, you never told me how you met Elizaveta."

He laughed. "Oh that. That's certainly a story."

She poked him. "So tell me."

"Did Elizaveta ever tell you why we're in the middle of nowhere?"

"No, she hasn't."

"Well, in the local folklore, she's pretty famous."

"Really?"

"Yeah well, there's this story. A wolf and a fox are competing for fish and the fox is sneaking around when she sees a fisherman poke a hole in the ice and fish. To make things fair, the fox tells the wolf about the hole and how the fisherman fishes with his rod. Then the wolf asks, 'So how're you going to fish when you don't have a rod?' he asks. Well she replies, 'I'm going to use my tail. So let's use our tails and the one with the most fish wins.' He agrees so he plops his butt down near the hole and his tail into the water. The fox merely swipes them with her claws and waits for the wolf. Soon enough, he howls in pain and leaves the hole. The fox comes up to him and laughs, 'What happened?' and he yells, 'The fish have my tail! You tricked me! You don't fish with your tail!' and she laughs and leaves." Then Shippou started laughing.

 "And,your point?"

"That story is true! Elizaveta, my darling vixen, tricked Dad into a fishing contest! The locals saw that and tell that story to this day."

She chuckled along with him. "When was this?"

"About a hundred years ago. For obvious reasons, she can never be in public like I can't and how Dad can't. The government after 1917 didn't like stories of 'magic', even if they were true. So Elizaveta and I raise Tatyana here, where the land, the water and the air is clean. We thought about Japan, but Elizaveta is more tied to her land and her family than I was."

"Is her family around here?"

"Oh yeah, her father Patrikay is the one who organized the contest. He's wonderful, just a little suspicious of newcomers."

"Why was he suspicious?"

"Because he knows every daemon around here and two youkai come around, one an ookami and the other a kitsune that consider themselves father and son and everyone is going to have questions."

They were near the village now, and she could hear the children shriek with joy and the smelly exhaust from the trucks.

"Does she have any friends here?" Kagome asked.

"Yup, though they never come out to the cabin. They're more than a little spooked and most of them only come here during the vacation."

"She's okay with that?"

"Yup, her very best friends go the same school as her. She has two. She's fine with it."

"What about you? What do you do?"

"A little this and that." He grinned at her. "Can't really tell you. Besides, a fox has to have its own secrets."

She rolled her eyes at his bravado. Kitsune. She snorted. She really should have been expecting that.

They chatted as he showed her around and then they headed back. Â She felt more at peace now. Not much has changed, but she did have a question.

"After Elizaveta won the contest, what happened?"

"Well, Dad had a sore ass and sulked while I got to impress her with all my magic."

"Really."

"Yeah and then a year later I decided to stay here while Dad decided to go home and wait for you. Can't say that I blame him. It was hard, especially during the two wars, but in 1950, Elizaveta finally got curious enough to visit Dad in Japan. By then, he missed us so much he forgot that he had to grow back his tail."

She smiled at him.

"How old is Tatyana?"

"Around thirty years old?"

"So your age when I took you in."

"Around there. See? You were always the youngest."

She glared at him. "I'll have you know, I was always the most mature!"

"Yeah right!"

"Hey!"

They laughed and joked around until they saw the cabin and she saw Kouga, who was listening in on their conversation. He shook his head at her as she hugged and kissed him in full view of the house.

"Ewww!" They both turned around to see Tatyana pouting. "That's what mommy and daddy do, and it's gross!"

"Then go away, kit, I want to be gross with your grandmother."

"Ewww!"

"Kouga!"

"What?! It's been a while!"

"Kouga!" She swatted her. "Not in front of a child!"

He pulled her closer and bit her ear. "Then, run." She sighed dramatically then, "Tatyana, want to make Dedushka mad?"

"Yeah!"

"Then run!"

"Okay!!!"

She and Tatyana ran away from Kouga who grumbled dramatically and said, "Okay! Don't make me huff and puff!"

"But I'm not a pig!"

"Yeah Kouga, don't insult your wife and granddaughter! We're not pigs!"

"Too bad! Then you better run!"

"Oh no, Babushka! He's gonna get us!!"

"Run!!!"

They spent the next hour running around playing tag and hide and seek until Kagome was breathless. Kouga was gratified to finally see her smile and participate. He didn't even try to let them win; he was too busy watching his mate get better and storing the memories up. He still wasn't sure that this was going to last forever.

What if none of the magic worked?

What if someone tried to take her away from him?

What if?

What if?

What if?

What if?

What if?

He shook his head and started stalking his willing prey and when he trapped her by a tree he didn't hesitate to kiss her soundly.

"You're it," he whispered before grabbing her behind.

"Fine, but we're taking this chase to the bedroom," her sultry voice came back to him.

He playfully groaned. "Not again."

"But you promised."

"I did."

"I'm it."

"You are."

"So I say: let's take this to the bedroom. I'm only human after all, and I want to catch you."

"Heh, fine then. Hold tight, _It_ , I'm going to go to a place where I won't make it easy on you." Emphasizing his words, he grabbed her harder. He felt pride when he saw that she was trying to trap her moan inside her moan, but didn't quite succeed. 

"Alright then. I'll make sure to try harder then."

"Deal."

 

 


	11. Chapter Eleven: Revelations

               “Ah, Ms. Higurashi. How are you feeling today?” The doctor asked the silent teenager. The teenager shrugged. The doctor nodded, and proceeded to look at the chart in his hands. This poor young woman. Only seventeen and been through so much!

               Kagome looked out the window from her hospital bed. According to everyone here, she has been in this place for weeks, and awake for two days. Try as she might, she couldn’t remember anything. She was in the Jewel….and then somehow got out. She shook her head in confusion.

               “Ms. Higurashi?” the doctor called out to her. She looked up.

               “Still don’t remember anything?” She nodded.

               He sighed. He had the police patiently waiting to question her. Apparently, this wasn’t a simple suicide attempt.

               He examined her, and then said, “You have visitors today. Should I send them up?” She nodded, her hair listlessly framing her face.

               The three girls and one boy were sent up to her room and burst in.

               “Oh my God! Kagome-chan! Are you okay?”

               “Why would you _do_ this?!”

               “Was it because of that Inuyasha guy?”

               “I brought some herbs that help stabilize mood swings!”

               They stopped in their tracks. She looked, awful. Her hair was lanky, her face pale and her _eyes._ She looked like she came from the dead. It was hard to keep the shock off their faces. They couldn’t quite manage it.

               “Hey guys,” came the whisper. She attempted a smile. “How have you been?”

               They looked amongst themselves. Her attempt had spread throughout the school when a student heard teachers discussing it amongst themselves. One of them was walking by when the ambulance showed up. Ayumi walked up to the bed.

               “We’ve been worried about you, you know. We didn’t see you for months and then…. this. What happened?”

               “…. I don’t remember, to be honest.”

***

               Kagome sighed. The amount of work she had put off after her trip to Russia was ridiculous. They’ve been back three weeks and she only _now_ finished her numerous essays and lab work.

               After careful deliberation, she took a career test online. And another. And another. And another. So much had left her adrift and now she realized that she didn’t want to be a doctor, or a historian, or a writer or a teacher or anything that _would suit her, damnit!_

               She pushed aside her drained laptop, and looked over her shoulder at her mate’s face as he came through the door. He looked at her confused.

               “Aren’t you supposed to be at the center?”

               She shrugged. “We don’t have anyone signed up.”

               “Again?” He came up to her and started to rub her shoulders.

               “Yeah, not many people want their children looked after by, what was it? An irresponsible whore.”

               He frowned. “He didn’t.”

               She nodded. “Yeah, he did. Apparently, that marketing degree he earned wasn’t just because he went to college.”

               Kouga thought about it. “Maybe that’s a good thing.”

               She turned away from him. “What the fuck do you mean, a good thing?”

               Feeling his mate’s anger through the bond, he threw up his hands in defeat. “I didn’t mean that he called you an irresponsible whore. But maybe it’s a good thing, for you to move on. Be somebody other than the Miko of the Shikon no Tama. You deserve that much.”

               She glared at the darkened laptop screen and sighed. “It’s kind of hard when that’s all you were for pretty much all of your teenage years.”

               She rolled her shoulders back and plugged in her laptop and turned to Kouga. “I have to finish this. But don’t worry! Food’s in the fridge.”

               He pecked her lips. “Thank you.” He reluctantly moved away from her, smiling at her back. His hard-working mate. She deserved that her hard work benefit her this time around.

***

               “Hello, Ms. Higurashi.” The police officer looked down at the teenager. “I hope your journey here was safe.” The girl nodded, her face blank.

               “You know why you’re here?” She nodded again.

               “You don’t think I attempted suicide.”

               “No, we do not, Ms. Higurashi. In fact, we think you were involved in a gang. Is that correct?”

               “I was sick.”

               “With what exactly? According to your school reports, you have been sick with over thirty different diseases, all of them chronic, all of them debilitating, most of them with visible and obvious symptoms and some of them even fatal. However, you showed up to take all of your tests, with regular intervals and never seemed more than stressed. Your teachers reported that you seemed to have mastered anatomy, medicine, and the biological sciences, even answering questions well beyond your supposed grade level and experience. Ms. Higurashi, you have not been ill.”

               The police officer looked over the report further. “Furthermore, you and some of your family members have been admitted to the hospital for various cases of injuries, smoke inhalation, and memory loss.” He looked up at her, seeing that she was paying attention, continued.

               “After speaking to your friends, you have been involved with a member of a gang, identified only by the name of Inuyasha. This individual, a young man of six foot, long white hair, yellow eyes, always appearing in a traditional haori and hakama of the color red, with a lavender bandana on the head and carrying a sword. Do you deny this?”

               She shook her head.

               “Do you know where this individual is?”

               She shook her head.

               This case was a nightmare.

               “What do you remember of going into the well?”

               “Which time?”

               Now they were getting somewhere.

               “There has been more than one time?”

               She nodded.

               “When was the first time?”

               “My fifteenth birthday. My cat was down there, and I went after it.” The officer looked at his file.

               “Reports from the time mention that you then disappeared in a flash of light and screaming.”

               “I was kidnapped.”

               Oh ho…. now they were _really_ going places.

               “By the individual named Inuyasha?”

               She hesitated, then nodded. “Yes.”

               “Okay, then what happened?”

               “I escaped and made it back home three days later.”

               “That doesn’t explain why you disappeared afterwards.”

               “He came back for me.”

***

               Kagome finally finished her work, then stretched. She smiled. She didn’t have to worry about anything for another month. Looking around for her mate, she heard the TV on in the living room. Closing her laptop, she went into the adjoining room and peeked in on him. Watching him, she noted his stressed features and the tight way he held himself. The TV blared, but he barely seemed to be paying attention.

               “Kouga,” she softly called out. He started and looked over at her.

               “Hey,” his voice was hoarse.

               “Are you okay?” she asked.

               He nodded. “I am. I’m just worried about you. You haven’t been sleeping well lately. Is it because of your family? Are they bothering you?”

               She walked over to him, turned off the TV and climbed on the couch with him. She loosened his ponytail and started playing with his hair.

               “I’ve been remembering.”

               He started to relax when her hands started lightly scratching his head.

               “Remembering what?”

               “After the Jewel battle, I was in the hospital for a time. Apparently, the authorities have been suspicious of some donations that were made during the Shikon hunt, and wanted to know if my disappearances were related.”

               Kouga tensed up again. Donations?

               “What donations?” he asked.

               “Apparently the week after my first disappearance, there was a huge donation of about ten million yen made out to the shrine, with the express purpose of ‘keeping the legend safe’. Mother later confessed that those donations funded my trips into the past.”

               _Shit._

               “Apparently, the shrine was going bankrupt before and this saved us. Souta later told me that the biggest reason that they allowed me to go on the hunt was because someone heard of our troubles and donated a ton of money. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to supply the group.”

               Oh god. She was going to confront him.

               “When did they tell you?”

               “Like a year after I was in the hospital.” She shrugged.

               “Do you know who donated the money?”

               “No, they kept that a secret. Landed them in trouble with the cops.”

               “Why?”

               “Because the cops thought that my family ‘loaned’ me out to keep the shrine going. That Inuyasha was my keeper that paid my family to use me to save ‘our heritage’.” Well, the cops weren’t wrong on that count. Kouga shivered, he had no idea when he made the deal with her family that _this_ would be the consequences.

***

               After Mamiko’s fainting spell passed, she ushered the kitsune and ookami into the kitchen and offered them something to drink, hoping to figure out how they knew what happened to her daughter, and more specifically, how this Higashiyama Kouga who waited for his wife was the man that her _daughter_ would be _engaged_ to.

               She served them the tea when the ookami, _Higashiyama Kouga,_ slid over a check of ten million yen.

               “Before I explain everything, I have a deal in mind,” the ookami said. Mamiko, curious, nodded. Anything for her daughter.

               “Alright, I’ll bite. What is this deal?”

               “This ten million yen donation to your shrine is a condition that when Kagome comes back, in three days, you will allow her to go on her journey. A hanyou, yes those exist, by the name of Inuyasha, will come to bring her back into the past and she must go back with him. If you allow her to do so, I will personally save your shrine and fund your daughter’s quest.”

               “What quest?”

               “Your daughter has been born with the artifact known as the Shikon no Tama inside of her. I take it you know the legend and how it pertains to this shrine?”

               Mamiko nodded.

               “I’m her son. Chichue, I’ll take it from here,” the kitsune said. His tails, nine of them, were casually swaying under the table.

               The ookami nodded. The kitsune turned back to Mamiko.

               “She saved my life when I was a kit, about a couple of weeks into her journey with the hanyou Inuyasha. When she arrives,” he checked his watch, “in about, let’s say, three hours, the centipede that dragged her into the Sengoku Jidai will have torn the Shikon Jewel from her body and tomorrow, she will break that jewel, requiring her to collect and assemble them.”

               Mamiko took a deep breath. “And what happens if she doesn’t?”

               “Simple. This world will not exist. You know the legend, and since it is true, you must let her complete her destiny. That check,” he nodded at the piece of paper innocently resting on the wood, “will allow your shrine keep afloat, supply her journey and it will honor your shrine.”

               Mamiko reached out to grab it, when the ookami slapped his hand on it.

               “However, Higurashi-san, this does come with the condition, that when the time comes, I will be allowed to court her properly without interference and if you break this deal, we will stop funding this shrine. I know, from public records that you are about to declare bankruptcy _and_ a little birdie told me,” he nodded toward the kitsune, “that you neglected to tell your children about the situation.”

               Mamiko glared at them. “I did it to protect Kagome and Souta!”

               The kitsune snorted. “Like marrying Kagome to another shrine when she reaches the age of twenty without her consent, which is _why_ you haven’t declared bankruptcy yet?”

               “How dare-”

               “This shrine and this house are only here by the grace of the historical society, that my father and I fund because of Kagome’s work in the past, which is _why_ this shrine is here in the _first place and, so it is very much our business._ ”

               “The shrine is owned by-”

               “By the Homura group, or more accurately, by Homura Ginta, who happens to be one of my betas. So, you see, your hands are tied. If you still want to hold on to your prestige, you _will_ take our deal. You _will_ allow Kagome to fulfill her duty, and you _will not_ interfere in my courtship when the time comes,” Higashiyama Kouga said.  The old man in the corner cursed him and Kouga smiled. The old man, shivered and shrunk into the plain wall mumbling about the evils of demons.

               Shippou and Kouga smirked as they filled out the forms for the donations. That night, as Shippou left for the airport, he told Kouga, “I know this doesn’t make sense for now, but prepare for some battles here.”

               “What do you mean?”

               Shippou sighed, checked his time on the phone and turned back to his adopted father. “I have a feeling that Mamiko isn’t to be trusted and quite frankly, don’t expect them to hold up their end.”

               “You’re not making sense. They have no reason not to hold up their end.”

               “Other than the poisonous grandfather? Okaa-san never mentioned him for a reason. I don’t know why, _yet_ , but he gives me the creeps.”

               “ _Last call for flight 2345 for Moscow_.”

               “That’s me.”

               “Tell Elizaveta and Tatyana I love them.”

               “Will do.”

***

               “So, you weren’t aware that your family had received donations from a private fund the very day of your disappearance?”

               “I wasn’t even aware that we needed _anything,_ let alone _ten million yen,_ sir.”

               “You weren’t made aware of your family’s financial situation?”

               “No sir.”

               “During your kidnapping, has your warden ever expressed why he kidnapped you?”

               “Other than needing me…for an assignment, no.”

               “And what was the assignment?”

               Silence.

               “Ms. Higurashi, _what was the assignment?_ ”

               The girl hesitated, then mumble something.

               “What was the assignment?!”

               “It was never made clear to me, but he kept trying to train me….in archery and in basic medicine to aid him in his work. I don’t know what it was, but occasionally he would bring me his buddies- I don’t know who they were and what they were doing- and make me perform medical procedures on them.”

               “Was there a medical professional in the room with you or were by yourself?”

               “It was me and no one else, sir.”

               The policeman nodded, and took notes. Strange case indeed. Why the ever loving fuck would someone train a fucking _hostage_ in archery? Sexual fetish perhaps?

               “Did the gang ever solicit you for sexual favors?”

               Kagome gulped, remembering Miroku’s groping, prepositions, kidnappings, _Muikostu for fuck’s sake,_ etc. She hesitantly nodded.

               “What were they?” the policeman barked with no concern for her feelings.

               She gave him a pared down list. He nodded, no sentiment or humanity visible on his face.

               “Okay, that’s it for now, Ms. Higurashi. You may leave,” he dismissed, looking over his notes. He wondered if he had enough evidence to try the family for abuse. Neglect certainly. Who the fuck made an illicit deal with a private donor to _sell_ their child to an unknown party, a gang that legally at least didn’t exist, covered up for the gang, allowed their child fucking weapons training, enabled and endorsed the kidnappers and only when the girl attempted suicide did this utter shit come to life?! Why didn’t the school question the strange gang member or her diseases? What the ever loving fuck was going on with society these days? He seriously wondered why he was still a cop if nothing he did would stop such actions. Did the gang somehow not only own the shrine but the school too? Too many questions and very little leads. Ms. Higurashi’s testimony and her four friends were the only solid evidence he got.

               That and the donations. Most of them were legit, the Homura group and the subsidiaries, but ten million yen? Who the fuck had that much cash on them?

               This was too strange.

               He looked at the next name on the list of suspects, only to find that there were none. This was it. He reached the end of the line. He sighed. He didn’t have enough to prosecute, but enough to keep on file. This _would_ get solved.

***

               Kagome couldn’t sleep again. Her lower abdomen hurt like hell, and her period was three weeks away. She gritted her teeth as she fought through the pain.

               She went through a mental checklist.

               Stressed? Check

               Hungry? Not really.

               Another cramp. Breathe through the pain, breathe Kagome, breathe.

               Sexually Transmitted Diseases? She looked over at her mate. Nope, not possible. Already checked.

               Did she have the flu? No, she couldn't have, it wasn't the season for it, and besides, she wasn't around children anymore.

               Food poisoning? No, she ate rice, no fish, nothing but rice. So that wasn’t possible.

               Another cramp. Shallow breathing, come on Kagome, you can do this. In and out, nice and steady. The cramp passed, and she rolled over on her side, gripping her stomach. What the hell?

               Kouga was having a nightmare; he dreamt that he smelt blood coming from his mate, and he felt like she was in pain.

               A breathy scream woke him up, and he saw blood on his sheets and his mate running to the bathroom in pain.

               Blood covered the floor, and he ran half asleep to her, hoping against hope that she was safe and okay, alive and well. But, it wasn’t to be as he came near the bathroom door and the smell of blood came even stronger. He could feel his mate’s pain as she labored (labored, she couldn’t be pregnant! It was impossible) through the pain, clutching her abdomen.

               He burst into the bathroom as a plop came from the toilet and Kagome fainted and fell on the blood stained floor. The smell of death permeated throughout the small room, but it didn’t come from Kagome.

               It came from the toilet, along with a malicious aura. He saw that his mate was bleeding and hurried to pick her up, dress her, and call an ambulance. The aura and the smell of death could wait. He already knew what happened and he couldn’t lose Kagome, not now.

               The ambulance arrived in ten minutes, and took her. He was kicked out because he was interfering with her care and was sedated and left behind.

               It was morning. The sun was shining, he had a headache and the smell of death was in the air, along with a twinkling coming from the bathroom.

               What the fuck happened last night? Why wasn’t Kagome in bed with him, why did the clock say it was ten in the morning, and _why did it smell like death?!_

               He called into work sick, and when he finally could no longer put off what needed to be done, he walked into the bathroom.

               Cautiously stepping into the white room, he headed towards the toilet and peered inside.

               What he saw made him howl in grief, rage, and fright.

               There was what was _supposed_ to be first born, mangled and bloody and wet from the toilet water, and in the middle, was an innocent-looking, pink, and twinkling Shikon no Tama, seemingly unaware of its own slowly dying down malicious aura.

               He stared at it in horror until the aura fully died down and the Jewel itself dulled from a bright pink to a matte pinkish-red-brown. Brown with the blood of his dead heir.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So......do you hate me yet?! XD  
> Feel free to scream out your frustration and anger (AND QUESTIONS) in the comments! Also feel free to kudo, subscribe, bookmark (wink wink nudge nudge)


	12. Chapter Twelve: Revelations Part Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First post of the New Year!!! Who-hooo!!!!!

               “Higashiyama, Kagome?” Kouga asked the nurse on duty. She smiled with pity and pointed him down the hall.

               “She’s in room 203,” she said. He bowed with gratitude and half-walked, half-ran to the second to last door on the left. The door was closed, so he slid it open cautiously, making sure that his mate wouldn’t be disturbed.

               She’s been in the hospital for several days, and she still wouldn’t react to outside stimuli, even though she was fully conscious.

               She was sitting up as he walked into the room, and hesitantly smiled at him. He leaned over and kissed her brow.

               “How are you doing today, mate?” he softly asked. She shrugged indifferently.

               “As well as can be, I guess.” She stared at the wall opposite her. “Did they bury it?”

               “Are you sure you don’t want to be there?” he asked. She shook her head.

               “I don’t think I can stand to see it.”

               He sighed. “Alright, they can bury it today, then you can go home tomorrow. The doctor said that you should take it easy for a few days.” No reaction. Kouga took her hand and stroked it, preparing for the new delivery of unwelcome news.

               “There’s something else.” This time, she turned to him, her curiosity stirred a bit. He took a deep breath and reached into his pocket, where the Jewel was burning a hole, the material unable to deal with the intense aura the Jewel was sending out. He placed it in her hand.

               “I was going to wait until after the burial, but I didn’t want to send you back into the emergency room.” She turned her head to the malevolent pink object in her palm and started to hyperventilate.

               He took a deep breath and used his free hand to pat her head, trying to calm her down. It didn’t work as she started to cry loudly and her sobs started to wrack her body. The machine started to beep and Kouga couldn’t do anything but hide the wicked object before the nurse burst in.

               “Higashiyama-san! What is wrong?” The nurse started to check her pulse and glared at Kouga.

               “Please leave. You have upset a patient. I suggest you don’t come back until we call you and let you know.”

               Kouga protested, but the nurse was firm.

               “I’m sorry, but you shouldn’t have given her upsetting news, especially when she’s not well. We’ll call you.” She then turned back to Kagome, speaking softly, laying her back down and sedating her. Kouga waited outside to room until the nurse left, then snuck back in. No one was going to keep him from his woman. He kissed her brow, her lips, her hands and then silently went out again, going to the nurse’s station.

               “Please call me as soon as she wakes up,” he growled out to the nurse behind the desk. She scowled at him and whispered, ‘Heartless bastard’, to one of her co-workers as he passed her by.

               He sighed as he got back into the car, turning his phone on. After four rings, his beta picked up the phone.

               “Homura Ginta speaking.”

               “Hey, it’s Kouga.”

               “Hey boss! How’s sister doing?”

               “Not so good. I showed her the Jewel and she almost had a heart attack.”

               “Well, I told you it wasn’t a good idea to tell her now.”

               “And when _would_ it be a good idea?”

               Silence on the other line then, “When she’s more stable and surrounded by familiar things and people. Also, _after she had to bury her own cub you dumbass._ ”

               Kouga frowned, “Since when are you so smart?”

               “Fuck off, and go home. Hakakku and I are on our way to see her.”

               “You’re coming home?”

               “Well, considering we’re her only family outside of the kit, yeah.”

               Kouga sighed. “Well, she’ll be glad to see you guys again. It’s been a while.”

               “Well, sis needs us. You need us. Go home and call Shippou. He’ll want an update.”

               “Alright, bye.”

               “Bye boss.”

               _Click._

Kouga groaned, slamming his head down on the steering wheel. He stayed that way for ten minutes, then reluctantly started the car drove home in silence.

***

               “Thank you so much, Higurashi-san!” the curly haired young woman said her good-byes to the respected shrine family and started her way down the steps, lost in her own thoughts.

               When visiting her boyfriend in the hospital, she saw Kagome being rushed into the emergency room. Thinking she was sick again, she visited her family, only to find out that Kagome _ran away from home!_ How odd!

               She shook her head. Kagome had always been a loose cannon, sacrificing her future for rebellion and willful irresponsibility. Then, she expected to be coddled and validated for her mistakes! And now, she dishonored her family and took up with a renegade and blackmailer!

               But in respect for their many years of friendship, she wanted to hear from the woman herself, and her pimp.

               She rounded the corner, and stepped into the subway, checking her messages as she was double checking the address.

               Three stops later, she disembarked and marched purposefully into the little neighborhood that the Higurashis indicated and knocked on the door. No answer, but no problem. She would wait.

               For all her years of friendship to the fallen woman, she would get her answers. A suicide attempt was one thing, dishonoring her family was another.

               She plopped down on the front step, watching as a black car rounded the corner and headed straight for her.

***

               “Hey, Kagome, want to go to the mall?” Ayumi asked the sleepy Kagome.

               “No.”

               “Oh, come on, you’ve been stuck all week at home, you need to have fun!”

               “Since when is shopping fun?”

               Ayumi, bewildered, stared at Kagome like the latter grew horns on her head.

               “Since when is shopping fun? Kagome, you’re joking, right?” Kagome groaned and pulled the covers over her head. Ayumi, Eri, and Yuka exchanged confused looks and shrugged to each other.

               “Look, we know you’ve had a tough time of it lately, but you can’t keep moping around you know!”  No reply.

               “Yeah, he’s dead and you’re back home! You should be happy!” Kagome groaned.

               “Kagome?”

               Nothing.

               “Kagome?”

               Nothing.

               “Kagome?!”

               The mound under the cover didn’t move, but if they really listened, they could hear her deep breathing. Yuka and Eri shook their heads.

               “If she wants to mope, let her. I’m tired of her drama anyway,” Yuka announced and Eri nodded. They left the room, leaving Ayumi sitting alone with their depressed friend. She stayed there for another hour, until eventually, she too left.

***

               “Who the hell are you?” Ayumi, startled, looked up at a handsome man with long black hair in a ponytail and with electric blue eyes. He was glaring at her, his eyes blazing with distrust.              

               “My name is Tomoya Ayumi. The Higurashis said that Kagome lives here now.”

               “And what exactly do you want with my wife?”

               Well, well, well. At least Kagome lived a somewhat respectable life.

               “I wish to speak to her. Is she still in the hospital?”

               The man further narrowed his eyes.

               “How would you know about that?” he asked.

               “I saw her being brought in again. Is she still sick?”

               He glared at her, suspicious. “Something like that.”

               Ayumi shifted awkwardly. “Oh.” The standoff continued.

               “Look, I have a burial to get to, so if you excuse me….” The man stared at her impatiently. Ayumi gasped and bowed. “Of course, I’m very sorry. Can you please let Kagome know that I stopped by?” She stared at the man expectantly. He seemed to be battling with something, then looked her in the eye.

               “I can’t promise you that, I’m sorry.”

               “Why not?”

               “I’ve spent too many nights comforting her because of the many people that _betrayed and abandoned_ her to carry out your request.”

               “Do you know who I am?”

               “No, but I can guess. Now, if you please, I am needed at the cemetery.”

               What a rude man, Ayumi thought as she walked home. Though it wasn’t much of a surprise that her former friend ended up with him. She always did like the jerks.

***

               After his cub was cremated, he took the small urn and went back home. The cremation facility was owned by a youkai partner of his, and so he didn’t have to order a special charm to hide the state of the mangled body.

               When he got home, he took the bathroom cleaning supplies and started to scrub the blood-stained tiles, something that he had neglected to do until now. Hopefully, his mate would be discharged soon, and she could heal where she belonged. With him.

***

_Back when the world was new, the land was divided up in demons and their animal counterparts. There lived four major clans: the Neko, the Ookami, the Inu and the Kitsune. None of them liked one another all that much, and the Neko were especially hated, as they weren’t descended from the Great Canine like the rest. In anger and resentment towards their canine neighbors, they caused great suffering and war among the rest._

_The Great Inu, Kitsune and Ookami clans met one day under the new moon, to protect themselves from the all-seeing felines. Each group leader brought their families and their heirs. Usually heirs fell to the first born, but in war times, the true heir would not be that first born. Instead, the leader chose an older male or female, usually an adolescent to be heir, and the infant would only be heir if the older member died or war ceased. And so, each brought their family and heir._

_The Ookami brought along his daughter, Yuki, and his heir, Ichigo. Ichigo was the fastest and the most loyal of his pack, and was tasked with protecting the princess. If things went well, they would mate within Yuki’s maturity. Then they would lead his clan when he died._

_Yuki was oblivious to her protector, and instead liked to run away from him. He smothered her, and she wanted to be free! With her pretty gray eyes, she could get away from Ichigo easily, even though his eyes were unusually blue and so, he should not have been so lost in hers. But she had other powers._

_She was a small seer, a child that could accurately predict the future, and so well, that already her counsel was needed by her father and her mother. That’s why, at such a young age, she was included in these important meetings. And which is why Ichigo was willing to mate her. If he had the power of Sight, he could lead the clan to where they weren’t before. That is, at first._

_The meeting with the three Canine Clans commenced and without even the first drop of sake, they started to discuss the Neko._

_“They need to be killed! All of them!” barked the Inu, a great silver one with wide gold eyes and silver markings under his eyes. On his forehead was a royal purple crescent moon._

_“That would make us worse than them. We need to simply outsmart them,” calmly said the Kitsune, a red haired, green eyed creature with nine gold tipped tails. Unlike his calm tone, the tails were thrashing erratically around._

_There was silence. Then a small voice whispered, “Killing them won’t work. They will grow so numerous as to be tamed by the ones that come after us.”_

_The confusion could cut through the air as the Inu, Ookami and Kitsune turned to Yuki._

_“Who comes after us?”_

_“They will call themselves ‘humans’.”_

_The leaders stared at each other. Nekos, to be tamed? By some other creature other than themselves? The great Ookami, with short black hair and eyes, turned sharply to his daughter._

_“Describe these ‘humans’, Yuki,” he ordered her._

_“They will look like us. And they will cover the entirety of the Earth. Their hair will be all the colors of the rainbow, their eyes the same. They will live less, and be weaker. They will hate each other more than they will hate us. They will create monsters. They will be ugly and greedy. Their packs will be weaker than their bodies. And they will tame every creature that came before them.”_

_Her words were received with horror. Her next words startled everyone._

_“We need the Nekos.”_

_The Kitsune snorted. “They killed my heir, and my first born. My mate is with kit again, and is hiding underground with the tanuki. I will not show mercy to the Neko. They will feel my pain!”_

_One of his tails hit the Inu, and the silver haired beast bared his fangs at him. “Watch where your tails go, **kitsune**. Or I will make you do so.”_

_The kitsune simply retracted his tails from the great inu’s back and turned his head away. They talked long into the night and decided to wait for the Neko to attack them._

_And so, the years went by, Yuki growing up and Ichigo awaiting to gain her favor. He proclaimed her his woman, and chased every other male away. She was annoyed by this, and ran off to some corner of the vast network of their cave system, which Ichigo would eventually find and give a token of his favor._

_He was falling in love with her, not just for her Sight, but because she was kind and selfless and every inch the princess. But she was confused about him. There was another, an inu, who paid much attention to her, who fought with Ichigo. But this was a lone inu, an even if she wanted to go off and leave her clan, duty bound her strong to Ichigo and her people._

_Finally, Yuki was grown up. And the Neko still haven’t attacked. But the creatures called humans arrived on their group of islands and started to cause destruction. She was curious, so one night she snuck away, unaware that Ichigo followed her. She found a human village and watched them. She had been right, they were ugly. And they treated their cubs and mates with such cruelty! Then she saw. She was a neko with two tails forced to turn small to protect itself. Its fellows disappeared to save themselves._

_The transformed neko was taken by a human with a great weapon on its back. She was so engrossed in the destruction that Ichigo took her. Once she realized that she was staring at the sky, she started to growl and snarl away her attacker._

_“Would you shut the hell up? You want those humans to find out about us? You were right about the Neko. Now, let’s tell your father,” Ichigo said. She nodded, and he continued to carry her on his shoulder._

_He carried her until they reached the clan lands, at which point he put her down by a stream. She stared at the water in shock. He was concerned, so he took off his armor, and hugged her. There was nothing inappropriate. They were to mate in 30 moons time._

_She was silent for a while._

_“Ichigo?”_

_“Yuki?”_

_“Are you scared?” He thought about it._

_“No. Not for myself.” She thought that noble._

_“Ichigo?”_

_“Yuki?”_

_“I had a vision.”_

_He looked at her. “What was it?”_

_“Our tribe will be safe. For a long time.”_

_“And the Inus and the Kitsunes?”_

_“All of them. Even the Neko.”_

_Ichigo sighed in relief. He didn’t ask more, of what was really to come._

_Yuki suddenly wanted to know what it would be like to kiss Ichigo. It was stupid, but she had a thought and she acted on it. She leaned in and kissed him quickly. Then she stood up and Ichigo watched her walk away. She finally kissed him._

_Thirty moons later, they mated. Time sped up and her father died, and the princess became queen alongside her mate._

_Once again, war was upon them. This time, with the humans and now all four great clans met at the night of the new moon. Yuki told them that while there would be some casualties, this would the final war…. for now. Yuki kept quiet on the true final war, for she would not be there to see it. She would be long gone._

_This time, it was easy because they all had a common enemy. They would attack and take back their land. They trained and trained, until every cub, kit, and pup could be considered a warrior, and every female, young and old, could wield weapons and use her power effectively. Ichigo and Yuki, alongside the other leaders of the clans, raised the bar on patrols to make sure that the humans couldn’t get into any of their territories._

_But the humans, resentful of such restrictions and running out of space of their own, started to poison and trap the clan members, declaring war._

_They first took the Nekos, taking pride in their subjugation, and rewarding defectors with a powerful substance that the Nekos quickly grew addicted to._

_They then took most of the Inus, forcing them to do labor for the humans, and rewarded those defectors with an easy life, only asking them to breed for the humans to use._

_The Kitsunes trapped, drugged and tricked many humans, and some however, fell in love with them. They were chased away from both human and youkai territories, and those who were born to both clans, were forced to go North, to the Great Continent beyond the Islands of the Sun._

_The Ookami Clan, headed by Ichigo and Yuki, was the last standing clan, but some clever humans, aided by the Neko and the Inu, attacked the stronghold and kidnapped Yuki. They took her to a great fortress, and locked her in a dank hole._

_For three nights and three days, they tortured her, taking away her memory, then her hope, then finally, the unborn cub in her womb._

_When they took away her cub, they replaced it with a pink stone, which burned Yuki from the inside out._

_But she was strong, and removed the stone with her claws and imbedded it with her youki. The first bout of youki created Courage, the second Wisdom, the third Friendship, and then finally, with her eyes silently crying out for her murdered child: Love._

_The four souls were then blown out over her enemies to teach them a lesson. When each soul reached a human heart, they stopped and looked around at their damage in horror. When the last soul touched the humans, they threw down their weapons and embraced those that they have enslaved._

_Yuki, smiling at her accomplishment, laid there and waited to die, as the torture and the magic used to create peace drained her. Her captor, a female human dressed in red and white, took the pink stone, rounded with the force of the magic, and shone the light on the dying Yuki, which sucked her soul into the stone as Yuki took her dying breath._

_The dead Ookami princess’s final expression was of peace and happiness, knowing that her final vision of the battle was still to come and when it did, the true possessor of the Great Magic would meet it head on and triumph._

***

               Kagome slowly woke up and looked around the dark hospital ward.

               What a strange dream she had.

              

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mad? Well, too bad! XD come at me, bro  
> Don't worry, any confusion that I created in this chapter WILL BE ANSWERED. I'm also going to start wrapping this baby up, so expect about six? more chapters. More revelations coming soon to an ao3.org near you!!  
> And don't forget to comment, kudos, bookmark and subscribe!  
> I love you guys so much!!!


	13. Chapter Thirteen: The Twisting of the Fates Continues...

               When Kagome was discharged, she noticed with pleasant surprise that Kouga’s betas were there to pick her up as well. They gently hugged her and smiled at her, no sympathy or pity to be found.

               “Looking well, Sis!” Ginta said.

               “What are you guys doing here?!” she exclaimed, trying to hug them back. Her efforts were to be commended, but they were pitiful, so to irritate their Alpha female, they mussed her head like she was a child. They shot glances at one another and laughed.

               “We wanted to visit you!” Hakakku said. “Wanted to make sure that Kouga was taking good care of you!”

               “And what would you do if he wasn’t?” she teased.

               “Why take you with us, of course!” the betas chorused.  They heard a growl coming from their Alpha and smirked. Ginta turned to Kouga and in a teasingly threatening manner declared, “I hope you are or we’ll find Sis another man!”

               “Oi, shut the fuck up and continue pushing the wheelchair.” Kouga smirked when he heard the pealing laughter of his woman. Deciding to play along, Kagome called out to her mate, “Well, I don’t know. No man should tell his mate to ‘shut the fuck up’!”

               “Oi!” The two betas laughed, and Ginta decided to up the ante. He stopped the wheelchair just as they left the elevator and entered the parking garage, and picked her up. Not looking behind him, he ran off with his prize, Kagome’s shrieking laughter echoing in the concrete structure, Kouga and Hakakku running and growling in protest after him.

               “Hey boss! Can it, will ya? It’s been a while!”

               “You sound like you want to ravish her! Not on my watch!” Kouga panted out. They passed a grieving family staring after them, confused. The mother sniffled and turned away from the hooligans. How disrespectful.

               Kagome giggled into Ginta’s chest, then threw out, “Don’t worry, Kouga darling, I would never cheat on my man, even though Ginta’s very handsome!”

               “Oi! Ginta, GIVE ME BACK MY MATE!”

               “Your mate just said I’m handsome, I want to see what else she wants to say!”

               They ran past the car, and around the pillar.

               “Hell, no! Give her back!”

               Ginta sniggered, then glanced back at Hakakku, turned around and started walking backward. “Fine!” Kouga sighed in relief but Ginta broke out into a grin.

               “Only if you can catch her!” he called out and tossed Kagome out in the air to scare her. Both the betas kept careful check of their Lady, but continued to toss her to each other like a ball, with her delightfully shrieking with laughter. Kouga was beside himself in worry and finally caught her.   

               He sighed in relief. “Safe and sound.”

               To his satisfaction, Kagome cuddled up to him. He kissed her brow and looked up at his betas.

               “Okay, if you’re done being dumbasses, let’s go.”

               “Aye, captain!”

               They settled in the car, Kagome unwilling to let go of Kouga. Smiling like a fool, he tossed his keys to Ginta and climbed to the back seat with her. Unknowingly to them both, Ginta snapped a couple pictures of them cuddling in the back, sending them to Kouga for times of doubt that the dumbass still had about her.

               Kouga studied his beloved mate. Her eyes were lighter than usual, he noted. Her normally strained and serious face relaxed and sleepy. He brought her closer to his chest. He was so glad that she was alright, and that the dead cub had not poisoned her. The Jewel, though, was another story. He met his betas’ eyes: Mission Accomplished.

               They grabbed food from Kagome’s favorite café and settled around the living room floor, catching up. Kagome joined in the fun, leaning against Kouga, but whenever anyone let up hilarity, her face would fall, and her hand would brush her stomach. Hakakku, noticing this, pulled out the bug guns. He punched Ginta in the arm and coughed.

               “So, Ginta, care to spill your big secret?”

               “What are you talking about?”

               “Your big secret!!”

               “What secret?”

               Kouga chuckled. “I think I know.”

               “What secret?!” Everyone turned to Kagome, and Hakakku cackled. “Tell us, Ginta.”

               Ginta, blushing like a school-girl, pounded on Hakakku’s back, while the latter winced.

               “Shut up.”

               “Don’t tell me, there’s a girl involved,” Kagome snatched up at that piece of gossip like she snatched up her favorite pastry. She clapped when Ginta nodded with embarrassment and Kouga barked with laughter. Elbowing her mate, she handed Ginta his half of the pastry, and started to, pun intended, hound him for details.

               “Okay, okay! I’ll tell, jeez.” Everyone crowded around the blushing bridegroom. He gulped.

               “Her name is Maya.”

               Kouga whistled. “Human, or youkai.”

               “Youkai. Ookami.” Hakakku snickered.

               “That’s not even the best part.” That earned him a box to the ears. “Oww.”

               “Fine! She used to be the beta in Ayame’s pack!” he burst out. “There, I said it. Happy?!”

               Kagome grew silent and deep in thought. Everyone turned toward her and Kouga nudged her, concerned.

               “Everything alright?”

               “I think I know her. Ginta- is she small, light brown eyes and light brown hair?”

               He nodded. “That’s her. How do you know her?”

               “We met before.”

               “When? I don’t remember her tagging along with Ayame whenever she wished to interfere. In fact, I didn’t know her name until after Ayame…died.”

               An uncomfortable silence followed Kouga’s proclamation, and each was lost in their own thoughts. That is, until Kagome gasped.

               “What is it?”

               “Isn’t Maya the head of that small publishing company, the one that works for various museums?”

               Ginta shifted, “Yeah, why?”

               “I met her my first year on the archery team.”

***

               “Kagome-sama?”

               The hallow-eyed girl turned to a small, brown-haired, brown-eyed young woman about her height. She was unfamiliar, but her eyes clearly said to Kagome that she _knew_ about who Kagome really was. She was dressed in the team’s robes and bent at the waist toward the new girl.

               “Who are you?” Kagome asked. There was a twinge of something being suppressed in the woman before her, and Kagome realized that at least _one_ youkai existed in this world.

               “My name is Maya,” the young woman said, smiling mysteriously, like she was hiding an unpleasant emotion in check, “But that’s not important. I know you disappeared, and when I heard your name, that you were coming _here_ of all places to practice archery, well you can imagine my surprise that the Shikon no Miko wasn’t dead and still only in her teens!” Maya grabbed Kagome’s hands.

               “I just wanted to thank you for destroying the Shikon no Tama! Because of you, many of us, myself and my pack included, are safe and sound.”

               Kagome didn’t appear to be moved, but inside there was chaos. When she tried to ask Maya what she meant, the latter was half-way across the room, practicing the formations.

               Three months later, she came across an article that named “Ito Maya” as the new head of a small publishing company.  The picture was of that girl- no, woman- who smiled up from at her, from Kagome’s laptop. She had searched and searched, but no contact information was ever found.

***

               Ginta cleared his throat to wake his Alpha from her waking dream. She snapped to consciousness and smiled at him.

               “Do you have any way I can contact her?” she asked sweetly. The three wolves looked at each other with confusion. Why would she need to talk to Maya?

               “Um, of course I do. Why?”

               “I have a couple of questions to ask her. I understand that she majored in Japanese literature?”

               Ginta nodded.

               “Good.” Kagome finished her food, got up and strode from the room, going up the stairs. She had research to do and no time to waste. Since she no longer had the shrine’s resources, she had to do things the old-fashioned way.

               Kouga waited until he heard her power up her laptop and sighed, shaking her head. Hakakku looked around confused.

               “Doesn’t she need to rest?”

               “Not when she gets like this. She’ll be up for a couple hours yet.”

               “But isn’t that bad for a human?”

               “Yes, it is, but you know her. I can’t over-ride her will.”

               His beta snorted. “You’re her mate, and her Alpha. It’s your duty.”

               Kouga frowned. “It’s not that simple.”

               “Yes, it is, she’s hindering her health and her spirits. I’ll give her Maya’s information tomorrow.”

               “Yeah, boss. This seems a bit crazy, like has she been like this for a while or is this new?”

               Kouga began to sweat, feeling uncomfortable in this line of questioning. “Look, if I pull her off her scent trail now, she won’t get her sleep anyway and waste more energy.”

               The two betas looked at each other.

               “Kouga, have you actually been taking care of her? Because if you haven’t I s-”

               “You what? You’ll tell Shippou?”

               “I wasn’t going to, but now that I think about it….”

               “Yeah…….”

               “Look, you can’t just come here after kami-sama knows how long and tell me how to take care of my mate!”

               “We wouldn’t have to if we weren’t just here because she had a miscarriage! The heir is pack business! Do you know how hard it was to convince the pack to not worry and let us investigate?! If it weren’t for our quick thinking, everyone would be here, questioning your abilities as a mate and as a leader.”

               Kouga rose from his spot on the rug and started on at Ginta.

               “You did what?!”

               Ginta rose to face him, black eyes staring at blue.

               “We told the pack and that we would find out what happened. Ever since you mated Kagome, _our Alpha female_ , _since five hundred years ago_ , you’ve been avoiding us, and she has been too! She wasn’t happy when you announced her as your mate, you asked us to stop supporting her pack, only telling us that they disrespected her.”

               “I told you _exactly_ what they did: they broke our deal, dishonored and slandered Kagome, and disrespected their history- the history that only exists because of her- the one they slandered and tossed out like trash!” Kouga seethed.            His hands formed into fists. “I didn’t cut her off from her family- they decided to do that because they regretted their support in the first place, they could dishonor their word not to interfere. They set her up with a shady character and his spawn, someone who _also_ decided to slander your Alpha female after she refused him. They have been ready to sell her off like property before our deal, lie about her during, and then break it off right afterwards. They disrespected her, therefore me, therefore the pack. Understand?!”

               The two others in the room nodded.

               “She’s been like this pretty much since they kicked her out. Her friends, her team mates, they have turned her backs on her. Her job failed, because of that devil spawn. It’s been hard on her,” Kouga continued, “…and you should know as to the cause.”

               “Of what?”

               “Of....what happened.” He went over to a box next to the TV and pulled out the innocent looking Jewel.

               “This was with...the body.”

               The two other men looked on in horror. They looked at Kouga, whose wariness made him look twice his actual age.

               “Why is it back?” Hakakku fearfully asked.

               Kouga simply shrugged. “I have no clue, and while Kagome knows it came back, I haven’t had the time to really sit down with her and talk to her.”

               Ginta nodded, and hugged Kouga. “I’m sorry, this is horrible. I can’t imagine how it must be for her.”

               “Thanks.”

               “Yeah, we’ll try and help as much as we can, but we have to tell the pack. They’re very concerned, and some of the females were talking about coming up to see her.”

               Kouga smiled wanly. “Don’t tell them about the Jewel. It’ll cause unnecessary panic and gossip. As for anyone willing to pay a visit, let them do it when she’s feeling less, manic.”

               “Yes boss!” To avoid uncomfortable silence, they dispersed into their separate corners to sleep. Ginta, as second, got the couch. Hakakku took blankets that Kouga handed to him and made himself a nest on the floor.

               Kouga decided to stay up with Kagome, who was dead to the world outside her research. He sighed and settled behind her, swept her into his lap and started to massage her shoulders. Try as he might, he couldn’t decipher the sheer amount of data she was commanding on her computer. Articles, journals, search engines, forums, the like, each tried to dominate the screen. She, herself, barely acknowledged his presence, simply sinking into his embrace, trying to enjoy herself in his arms as her mind whirled.

               At four in the morning, she yawned and turned to him.

               “You’re still up?” she asked, her voice hoarse, eyes bleeding, skin deathly pale. He kissed her.

               “Of course.”

               “But aren’t you tired?”

               “I am, but I’d rather hold you on this floor, than sleep without you in my arms another night.”

               She leaned into his touch even more, her long hours finally catching up with her.  She yawned and stretched.

               “You must hate that I’m so needy,” she said, burrowing into his chest, her voice gradually fading. He chuckled.

               “After everything, after taking care of so many others, it’s my honor to take care of you.” He kissed her forehead, her face finally peaceful as she slumbered. He shook his head and picked up her slight body and reverently stripped her down, dressed her in more comfortable clothing and tucked her in. Even through everything, his woman was strong; she was no slouch or adverse to hard work.

               But he could admit that it was probably time that she didn’t need to work so hard, or so thanklessly. He considered his part in her miscarriage.

               Jewel or no Jewel, it was his fault. He didn’t take care of her, always assuming that because she was strong and fierce and everything in that vein, that she didn’t need him, and that he was there to bask in her light.

               No, he frowned as he washed and got ready for his own sleep, he was negligent.

               And there he thought he knew everything after five hundred years of being without her. If she were to die now, he didn’t know what he would do.

               He got into bed, and hugged her close. Her survival meant his now, and not _just_ because they were bonded, but because if she died and he lost her after finally finding her again, he would die as well: mind, body, and soul. He vowed that when they woke up, he would truly start living up to his promise to take actual care of her: mind, body, and soul.

               He still couldn’t believe it took this long for him to figure this out.

***

               Sitting at another random university coffee shop, Maya twisted around and continued to drink her brew. She wondered why the little Miko finally decided to talk to her, after all, she wasn’t exactly subtle when they first met. And stranger still, why did she have her bring several manuscripts? It was the oddest thing. Last she heard, she could have gotten them from the shrine herself, if she really wanted to.

               Finally, the bell rang out and in came the Miko, huffing and puffing with her unsightly yellow backpack stuffed to the brim with printed sheets.

               “Over here, Kagome-san!” she called out. The younger woman briefly smiled and hurried over to the corner table.

               “Thank you so much for meeting me, Ito-san! I know that you’re a busy woman, but when I heard you had some manuscripts I had to take a look!”

               “Of course! I’m curious as to why you need them though, don’t you have access to such things at the shrine?” Maya asked innocently.         

               Kagome coughed uncomfortably and smiled blandly at the woman in front of her.

               “Unfortunately, because of circumstances, I’m unable to visit the shrine.”

               Interesting. Time to stir the pot. Maya put her most sympathetic face on and cooed to the miko, “Oh really? What happened?”

               Kagome grimaced. “I’m no longer part of their family, Ito-san.”

               “Oh, why ever not? I heard shrine families are very loyal to their clan.”

               “That’s just it, Ito-”

               “Please, no need for informalities, call me Maya.”

               “Alright, Maya-san-”

               “Just Maya. We’re friends!”

               Kagome twitched at the insincerity of the ookami youkai sitting in front of her. There was something rubbing her the wrong way about her, but since she was desperate, she figured that it wouldn’t hurt to take a chance. So, she spilled everything to the woman opposite her, from the moment she touched down into her native era to Kusumoto Manabu and Jirou, to the mating, to now. Per her credit, Maya listened faithfully, giving the right reactions at the right times. Finally, she stopped and drank her cold coffee that Maya ordered half-way through.

               “So, you see, I’m curious. I want to know why Kouga wasn’t told about the legend, why it keeps cropping up and why I’m dreaming. I haven’t found anything.”

               “You think it might have something to do with the wish that my Alpha made?”

               Kagome tread carefully, “I know that Ayame was your Alpha and that you were very loyal to her, but I must investigate.”

               “I understand, Kagome- may I call you just Kagome, we are friends after all.”

               Kagome nodded uneasily.

               “I understand that Ayame had a very unhealthy fascination with Kouga, as soon as he promised to mate her, as you know. And I always wondered why he wouldn’t even remember making such a promise. It angered our pack. We felt dishonored, you know. Especially when his excuse was that he found a human miko to take up with.” Maya inwardly smirked at the Miko’s flinch.

               “But it’s alright,” Maya continued, smiling benevolently at Kagome. “It’s all in the past now. Especially when she decided to disregard our needs to stalk him and such.” She sniffed. “She started to dishonor us after that.”

               Uncomfortable silence continued for a while, the clock hands at the front of the shop ticking by. Finally, Maya sighed and smiled at the human in front of her.

               “I’m sorry, even though it’s the past, it still hurts.”

               “Right.”

               “So, I suppose you wish to see those scrolls?”

               “Yes, please.”

               For a while, everything seemed fine and they started to exchange small talk about their lives. Kagome started to examine them when she realized that the signature on the bottom matched the kanji on her birth certificate.

               “Where did you obtain the scrolls from?” she asked the wolf.

               The smile she got sent shivers down her spine.

               “Oh, you didn’t know?”

               At Kagome’s confusion she almost laughed, but she checked herself.

               “I thought you knew.”

               “Knew what?”

               “I’m just surprised. Though, it does make some sense now.”

               “What?!”

               “Well, didn’t you hear that the Higurashi shrine went bankrupt?”

               At Kagome’s horror struck look she nodded sagely.

               “Before they did, they started to sell their manuscripts and other artifacts on auction to pay their bills. We got them” she nodded towards the scrolls now safely hidden in Kagome’s bag, “for a steal at auction. Still,” she sighed, “it wasn’t enough to save the shrine.” She shrugged. She noticed Kagome’s tears and casually said, “You can keep them. After what you told me, I think you need them more than my company does.”

               Shaken, Kagome nodded and started to gather up her things. A thought occurred to her and she glanced at Maya, who was staring out the window.

               “What happened to the donations?”

               Maya, looked up, startled. “Oh, I wouldn’t know. But I’m sure you know Homura, Ginta?”

               “Yes, he’s my mate’s beta.”

                She nodded, taking the information in as if she wasn’t aware of even that fact. “Well, in any case, his group is the one that was in charge of finding worthy shrines to donate to. Last I talked to him, he mentioned something about your shrine, but I can’t remember what that is. I’m sorry,” she said, reaching out to hold Kagome’s hand, “I wish I knew more, I really do.” She turned to the window once more and sipped the rest of her coffee.

               Kagome quickly packed up and left the coffee shop. She ran to the subway and took the train to her old stop, from which she ran only to find a sign that read: “Property for Sale: please call 81-5278-0923 if interested.”

               She leaned her forehead on the fence, silently crying. The shrine property looked shabby, at least what she could see from the fence itself. After a while, she turned back, determined to ask Ginta what the hell Maya meant.

***

               Meanwhile, Maya took the scenic route to Aoyama where her friend, Fumiko, lived.

               She passed the university library, and turning onto a quieter street, entered a fancy high-rise apartment.

               On the fifth floor, she got off and Fumiko, the former Lady of the Western Lands, welcomed her into her home.

               “Maya-chan!”

               “Fumiko-chan!”

               They hugged, and Fumiko had steaming tea ready.

               “How was the meeting?” Fumiko casually asked the ookami business woman.

               “Ugh, the Miko is the most ignorant person I have ever met. I gave her a nasty shock today,” Maya smirked.

               Fumiko, tutted and giggled. “Really, how cruel.”

               “She was bound to know eventually, and really, it just means that she’ll be able to appreciate my revenge when the time comes.”

               “How was she, other than shocked?”

               “Kouga, poor man, knocked her up and she lost the hanyou.”

               “Really. I suppose she told you?”

               “Yup. I don’t know why, but it makes things easier.”

               “I suppose it gets lonely, being a human miko mated to an ookami prince.”

               Maya snorted. “And wouldn’t you know, widow Tashio?”

               “I would. Which is why I took care of it.”

               “You mean you took care of _him._ ”

               Fumiko laughed, her musical laugh taking up the room, “You helped.”

               “Of course, I would! The old dog went berserk after the battle with Naraku. Speaking of, I need a favor.”

               “Oh?”

               “I heard that you deal with the human, Kusumoto Manabu?”

               “I do occasionally. My clothes don’t sell otherwise. Why?”

               “I need to talk to him, about some marketing tips. My company is stagnating, and I need a decent PR man to sell my books.”

               “Really, Maya, I know you too well. Don’t you have a marketing department already?”

               “I do, but he also deals with a couple of kitsune schools that are looking to turn into more, human, ventures. I was hoping for some advice.”

               Fumiko chuckled, “I thought those kitsune schools no longer existed.”

               “They’re on my territory. I won’t let them go, but the damn kitsune are losing their cover and their money, and as Alpha I have to step in.”

               “I bet you wish Ayame was here to deal with all of this.”

               “Not really. She doomed herself and made me swear revenge should her idiotic plan fail.” Maya sighed and sipped her cooling tea.

               “But I thought you hate the miko.”

               “Me? I hate her, but not because of her, personally. She’s alright, I guess. But because of her, our clan has been humiliated, and for _what_? For her to disappear and then come back, _poof_ , five hundred years later? It’s an insult.”

               “To kill her now would be to declare war on Kouga.”

               “So, what? I have you, the Lady of the Western Lands, backing me. Even if the coward can step away from her corpse, he’s too _human_ now to really to do that much damage. The risk is worth the reward.”

               “That’s true. However, please keep in mind what era we’re in, we can’t just start battling in the streets like we used to.”

               Maya cackled. “If there’s one thing you learn from kitsune, it’s how to start a war without the ningen scum noticing before it’s too late, if at all.”

               _Clink._

“Very true,” said the dignified Lady of the former Western Lands as she toasted her ookami friend. “Very true.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews are my fuel and my motivation. I'm sorry I can't get this story finished faster, but I swear that you guys are the key! Please let me know what you guys think, it's a huge help and you have no idea how much your feedback means to me :)
> 
> Because I love you guys so much, here's an extra long chapter!!

**Author's Note:**

> Don't worry, I'm only warming up! We will have a long ways to go and I hope to do a chapter a week, but unfortunately, life gets in the way and so all I'm asking for you to do is strap in and enjoy the ride with me! Since I'm writing this all down as I go, I might end up changing the rating, adding warnings and tags as I see fit. Still I hope that you will continue to check in with me, and don't forget to kudos and comment if you'd like below :)


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